Head injuries kill young skier

SANTA FE (KRE) - A 10-year-old girl from Texas suffered fatal head injuries Tuesday when she lost control on a Ski Santa Fe trail and slid into a tree.

Shelby Gillespie of Bushland, Texas, was on a ski trip with her parents and older brother when the accident occurred shortly before 11 a.m., according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office. She was not wearing a helmet and apparently died from head injuries, deputies reported.

Witnesses said Gillespie was gaining speed on the intermediate Sunset Trail when she fell down and crashed into the tree. The ski patrol began resuscitation efforts which continued when the girl was brought off the mountain.

This was her second year skiing after starting lessons last season, according to the sheriff's office.

The tragedy is casting a shadow on this ski resort during that time between Christmas and New Years when families vacation together.

And while there is no evidence a helmet would have prevented the fatal injuries, the incident served as a reminder of why many safety experts believe wearing a helmet on the slopes is as important as dressing warmly.

Throughout the day many snowboarders zipped down the mountain without protective headgear, but some younger skiers and snowboarders could be seen wearing helmets.

"We had a lot of discussion about trees," Gerd Kunde said adding he would never let his 10-year-old son Zar snowboard without a helmet.

And after taking a spill last week Zar won't challenge his dad.

"Sometimes I think it looks bad on me, but it actually is helping me," Zar said.

Kunde also wears a helmet, something he never did growing up in the Swiss Alps.

"It was a part of skiing that if you somehow push the edge something is going to happen," he said. "But if you have the right protection, something is just going to heal."

The Consumer Product Safety Commission found 44 percent of head injuries to adults and 53 percent of head injuries to children from skiing or snowboarding accidents could have been reduced or prevented with helmets.

Like most ski areas in the country Ski Santa Fe has a helmets-optional policy.

"It is a personal choice," manager Joe Turiciano said. "It doesn't help in all instances.

"The speed of the collision is something that must be taken into factor."

Many ski organizations recommend helmets for children and teenagers.

The ski resorts of Aspen, Colo., are the only ones in the nation that mandate the use of helmets, and that rule is only for children 12 and under.