A DEVASTATED family have paid tribute to their 12-year-old son after he died in an accident at an indoor ski centre.
Louis Watkiss died in a sledge crash at the indoor ski centre SnowDome in Tamworth, Staffordshire on September 24.
His heartbroken family shared two new photos of Louis in tribute to him.
One shows the “talented” musician playing the saxophone, while in another he’s wearing a Chelsea shirt – the football club he passionately supported.
They also described him as “our pride, our joy, our love”, adding that they “miss him so much it hurts”.
Police were scrambled to the Snow Dome at around 6.40pm after reports that a child was hurt.
Paramedics rushed to the scene but despite their efforts the boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
It is understood the youngster collided with a skier while sledging down one of the ski slopes during a “freak accident” at the popular attraction
A spokesman for Staffordshire Police said: “Louis’s family are being supported by specially-trained officers. We would ask everyone to respect the family’s right to grieve in private during this extremely difficult time.
“Staffordshire Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances with support from the Health and Safety Executive.”
Witnesses say he was sledging just moments before the tragedy unfolded when he collided with a skier.
One mum told how her stepdaughter and friends were behind the boy when the horror unfolded.
She claimed the kids were effectively “trapped” on the top of an escalator as witnesses and medics frantically tried saving the boy’s life.
She wrote on Facebook: “Our children were next to do down and saw it all.
“They tried to leave and were told to go back up. I was asking staff why they were just letting them witness it all, it was horrific.
“We weren’t even told if it was our child when I was shouting down from the viewing balcony.
“Eventually after 20 minutes we’d had enough and went in and got everyone out ourselves. Our children were a mess.
“My stepdaughter and her friends are still crying now (they were next to go down so saw it all) and it was three hours ago.
“There were toddlers and children witnessing very close up a horrific scene.
“You don’t think these kind of things are that dangerous.”
Another parent wrote: “My friend took his kids to the slope and say the boy was sledging when he somehow collided with a skier about half-way down the slope.
“It shouldn’t happen because the staff should be monitoring when people can go down to avoid this very thing.
“It was apparently very busy and full of kids. Police were questioning all the staff who all looked in shock.”
Source: The Sun
