PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (WHDH) - Grief counselors will be at Portsmouth High School in New Hampshire as students mourn the loss of a classmate.
Senior David Kohlhase, 18, died Sunday in Maine after a tragic accident after-hours at the Sunday River Ski Resort.
The Oxford County Sheriff’s office said deputies responded just before 2 a.m. to the accident involving an inflatable tube on the Tempest Trail.
Kohlhase and a 17-year-old boy were riding on the same tube, which went off the trail and struck a tree, according to officials. A third teenager called 911 to report the crash.
“They were young men who were probably there to have fun and it ended in tragedy,” said Chief Deputy Hart Daley of the Oxford County Sheriff’s office.
Officials also transported the 17-year-old boy to the hospital with serious injuries.
A Sunday River spokesperson said sledding is not allowed on ski trails and the mountain was closed at the time. The trails the teens were on was classified as advanced.
Portsmouth High School Principal Mary Lyons issued a statement Wednesday:
“It is very difficult for all of us to face the death of a young person. It is important to rely on one another when tragedies such as this occur. We recommend that you talk to each other and share your reactions. It is important to let someone you trust know how you feel.”
Lyons said grief counselors will be at the high school on Thursday.
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