US Marine killed in freak accident at ski resort
2025-01-23
Category: america

A 24-year-old Marine Sergeant died after she was injured in a skiing accident at a popular resort in Colorado while home visiting her family for the holidays. Jessie Mello, 24, was skiing at Powderhorn Mountain on Dec. 24 when she suffered a severe head injury and broken bones, the Mesa County Coroner and the resort confirmed to Fox News Digital.&nbsp; Officials said that the Marine was on an intermediate-level trail when the Christmas Eve accident occurred.&nbsp; Her father, Eric Mello, told The Colorado Sun that eyewitnesses reported she hit a patch of ice and collided into a tree. He said that she was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.&nbsp; TEEN DEAD AT SKI RESORT NEAR POSH MOUNTAIN TOWN  Following the accident, the ski patrol responded, and she was flown to St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado — roughly 40 miles from the resort— and was placed in intensive care. COLLEGE ATHLETE DIES FROM TRAGIC ACCIDENT ON SKI RESORT'S MOST DIFFICULT TRAIL The Mesa County Coroner said Mello remained hospitalized for several days but died on Jan. 5 from head injuries. "My baby girl went peacefully into Jesus’s arms tonight," her father, Eric, wrote in a Facebook post.  A funeral was held for Mello&nbsp;at Messiah Lutheran Church on Jan. 10.&nbsp; 'MAGICAL' MASSACHUSETTS BOY, 12, IDENTIFIED AS VICTIM IN FATAL RUN-IN WITH TREE ON NEW HAMPSHIRE SKI SLOPE  She was remembered as a "woman of incredible talent, character, and love." "She made you want to be the best you could be, no matter what. Her mere presence brought people together and allowed others to find the strengths that made them unique. She would celebrate your victories and weed out your failures," her family wrote in her obituary. "Excellence was not a lofty goal for Jessie; it was the standard." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Jessie leaves behind a loving family who will cherish her memory and carry her light forward," her family wrote. She is survived by her parents, Eric and Jennifer Mello, and two brothers, Bo and William Mello. Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Marines for comment.