Child dies after snow fort collapse

Sad news out of a small township near Orangeville where a nine-year old boy has died after playing in a snow bank outside his home after all of the snow that fell in Wednesday’s storm. He was trapped in the heavy snow after the fort he’d built collapsed on him.

The Dufferen Peel Catholic District School Board has identified the nine-year old as Zachary Currie. He was a grade four student and he attended St. Benedict Catholic Elementary School in Orangeville.

Currie was found in a snowbank at his family home around 3:30 Wednesday. He was rushed to hospital where he later died. A school board official says he was well known at his school and had an older sister in grade 6. He also has a brother in high school. Thursday, the schools Principal went classroom to classroom where students were told about Zachary’s death. Counsellors have been at the school all day to help students and staff deal with the loss. The school also sent out a letter to parents. It reads in part: “Today, as a family, we are saddened by and grieve for the death of Zachary Currie. He was a student of Ms. Carson’s grade 4 class. The death was a result of a tragic accident yesterday.”

We spoke with the OPP about the investigation as well as parents at the school who were shocked to learn of Zachary’s death.

Tina Hinsberger is a parent: “It’s all I’ve been able to think about since yesterday. It’s devastating and I knew the boy and my heart go out to the parents of Zach. He was a great kid.”

Rae Corbett is a parent: “How will you talk to your kids about this? Just explain what had happened and explain why we keep them away from the snow banks and hopefully nothing like this will ever happen again.”

Paul Nancekivell is with the Dufferin OPP: “Our key message we’re trying to get out there now for youth building snow forts. Build it with no roof, build it with walls around the edge so you have plenty of fresh air coming into the snow fort.”

People went to Twitter to express their condolences:

RIP Zachary, you were only 9 and lived a short life, you will be missed so much.

RIP Zach you’ll be in the hearts of us at St.Benedict school forever.

RIP Zachary, you all made us smile and you are loved by all of us at St. Benedict. God Bless.

Family and friends stopped by the Currie home on County Road 11, in the Township of Amaranth. Through police, the family said they will not be making a statement at this time.

So far, no funeral arrangements have been made.