The Johnson family experienced a life-altering tragedy on Christmas Eve in 2010. Chauncy and Kelli Johnson took their children to the ski slopes in Casper, Wyoming, a day that would become their worst nightmare.
Their daughters, Elise, aged five, and Camilla, then three, were skiing that day while their grandparents watched over the youngest sibling, Logan, at the lodge. The family ventured into the snow, with Kelli taking Elise on a short blue run and Chauncy accompanying Camilla to the bunny hill. Tragically, this was the last time Chauncy saw Elise with her mother.
During the run, a snowboarder collided with Kelli and Elise, sending Elise flying 50 feet away and resulting in a fatal neck injury. Elise was only five years old.
The snowboarder, Craig Shirley, aged 23, also succumbed to injuries from the collision. Kelli suffered a severe brain injury, leaving doctors uncertain about her recovery prospects.
“She still doesn’t remember the moment of impact, which is actually a blessing,” Chauncy shared with PEOPLE. He expressed relief at not witnessing the incident, describing the aftermath as traumatic.
Kelli eventually recovered, regaining her ability to walk and swallow, though she initially forgot about Elise’s passing. After three months, she returned home, where Chauncy was grappling with the loss by turning to alcohol.
He soon recognized the need to enhance slope safety, not only for his peace of mind but for others. Chauncy reached out to the National Ski Areas Association in 2016 to initiate a safety program. By 2023, he established the Snow Angel Foundation, a nonprofit aimed at educating youth, race clubs, skiers, and ski patrollers about mountain safety, sharing Elise’s story as a poignant lesson.
The foundation’s slogan is: “She was five. You were doing 50.” Chauncy emphasized their mission to inspire rather than sadden: “We’re really the first people that have lost a family member on the slopes, come back in and said, ‘We need to be more open about our conversations about safety on the mountain, and we need to provide people with better tools to understand how to mitigate risk better.’ ”
Reports from CBS indicated that Elise was the only one wearing a helmet during the incident. While helmets offer some protection, National Ski Areas Association spokesman Troy Hawks highlighted the importance of skiing in control and being aware of others for safety.
“This is certainly a tragedy. This really speaks to the idea that wearing a helmet is not the silver bullet defense, and skiing in control and being aware of others should be the first line of defense of safety on the slopes,” Hawks conveyed to ABC News following Elise’s death.
Today, Chauncy, Kelli, and their family, including daughters Reese and Leilani, who were born after Elise’s passing, continue to ski together, carrying forward the lessons from their experience.
If you have experienced a bereavement and need to talk to someone confidentially, you can reach out to The Compassionate Friends at (877) 969-0010.