Local Man Dies In Skiing Accident

January 1, 2010 by Cheshire Herald

Cheshire resident Alex Westphal, 20, was killed Christmas Eve during a skiing accident at Killington Ski Resort in Vermont.
The accident occurred during a trip in which Westphal had joined his family for the Christmas holiday. According to reports, Westphal suffered severe injuries after colliding with an “object” on the slope while snowboarding down the mountain during the afternoon of Dec. 24.
A ski patrolman found Westphal and immediately began CPR. Westphal was then taken to a nearby hospital, where efforts to resuscitate him failed.
Westphal was a 2008 graduate of Cheshire High School and a sophomore at Hofstra University. During his time at CHS, Westphal was a standout athlete who played basketball, baseball, and football. On Wednesday, CHS baseball head coach Bill Mrowka, who coached Westphal, remembered the young man and the time he had spent with him.
“It’s a major tragedy,” said Mrowka. “My prayers and thoughts go out to his parents. He played his first three years for me. He was a tremendous athlete and worked very hard.”
Mrowka described the news as “awful” and expressed his regret that a life so full of promise had been cut short.
“He didn’t play his senior year because he was doing some modeling and traveling,” Mrowka stated. “He was a great young man.”
Westphal’s funeral was scheduled to be held this week in Iowa, with a memorial service to follow in Connecticut at a later date.