MA Man Matt Zonghetti ID’d As Victim In Thursday NM Taos Ski Valley Avalanche

TAOS, NM. (THECOUNT) — Matt Zonghetti has been identified as the Mansfield, Massachusetts, man killed in an avalanche at a New Mexico ski resort on Thursday.

Zonghetti, a recent grad of Mansfield High School, was killed in an avalanche that occurred around 11:30 a.m. Thursday, near the highest peak of Taos Ski Valley.

Ski Patrol and first responders were working to rescue an unknown number of skiers buried in an avalanche at Taos Ski Resort in New Mexico on Thursday, reported nbcconnecticut.

Two other skiers were pulled from the snow after a roughly 20-minute rescue effort, according to a resort spokesman.

Superintendent of Schools Teresa Murphy released a statement following the tragic news:

“Matt Zonghetti was an outstanding Mansfield High School student-athlete and citizen, We are proud to consider him one of our own. His death is a tragic loss and our school community is heartbroken,” the statement said in part.

Family members and friends took to Facebook to remember the beloved young man:

Taos Ski Valley is a village and alpine ski resort in Taos County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 69 at the 2010 census. Until March 19, 2008, it was one of four ski resorts in America to prohibit snowboarding, source Wikipedia.