A Monmouth County college student died Tuesday after a tragic skiing accident in Hancock, Massachusetts, according to authorities.

The student, 19-year-old Alex Kemp of Lincroft, graduated from Christian Brothers Academy last year. He was a first-year student at Williams College, also in Massachusetts, where he competed on the cross-country and men’s track and field team.

According to media reports, Kemp was skiing down the Cutter Trail route at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort when he crashed around 2:39 p.m.

“Kemp had gone over an embankment and appeared to have suffered significant head trauma,” according to reporting from The Berkshire Eagle of a statement from the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office. “Jiminy Peak Ski Patrol were immediately dispatched to the scene,” the statement went on to say according to reporting from The Berkshire Eagle. “Northern Berkshire EMS arrived shortly thereafter to administer life-saving measures. The victim was transported to Berkshire Medical Center before being transferred to Baystate Medical Center for further care.”

No evidence suggested drugs and alcohol were involved, according to reporting from The Berkshire Eagle of a statement from the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office. The publication also reported Kemp was wearing a helmet.

The Cutter Trail, a black diamond trail, is labeled on a Jiminy Peak trail map as being “most difficult” and for seasoned skiers.

Local law enforcement is investigating the accident, and they said Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort has cooperated.

On Wednesday, Williams College President Maude Mandel addressed the school community about Kemp’s death. In it, she expressed her sadness and also quoted Kemp’s coach, Dusty Lopez, who recruited him to run at Williams.

“Alex was fearless and incredibly motivated as a runner, both in training and competition,” Lopez’s quote in the statement read. “But even when he didn’t have his own best day, he took sincere joy and pride in seeing teammates do well. The team was always his biggest priority. Our entire team feels a huge sense of loss and grief at this tragic accident. Our thoughts and hearts are with his family, his high school teammates and coaches, and everyone else who was lucky enough to know Alex.”

Mandel added that Kemp had hoped to complete a doctorate in computer science, placed first among all first-years at the NCAA Championships, and was an active volunteer. In her statement, Mandel said Kemp had volunteered at the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen and iCan Bike.

The college, Mandel added, is planning to hold a public gathering in recognition of Kemp’s life in the “coming weeks.”

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In the early 1980s, New Jersey was on the brink of losing its last remaining bald eagles. Only one nesting pair existed in the state, and their eggs weren’t hatching because of the lingering effects of the insecticide DDT, which was banned in 1972.

Following decades of restoration work, bald eagles now nest in every New Jersey county. This week, the state removed the bald eagle off its endangered species list — more than 17 years after the majestic bird was federally delisted.

“I’ve been around a long time and have not seen very many species delisted. So, it really is a very special thing,” said Kathy Clark, chief of the endangered and nongame species program at New Jersey Fish and Wildlife.

In 2024, New Jersey surveyed a record 293 nesting pairs of bald eagles, of which 264 laid eggs. Their highest numbers are found along the Delaware Bay, where protected marshlands and coastal creeks provide ideal habitats. The state was able to delist the species because their reproductive rate over multiple years reached sustainable levels.

The success story follows years of artificially incubating eggs, introducing eagle chicks from Canada, monitoring nests and educating the public.

“What this really shows is that big picture conservation is possible. It starts with an inspirational spark that causes a wide swath of people to care deeply, and then the work requires learning, effort and perseverance over the long term,” said Alex Ireland, president and CEO of the environmental group New Jersey Audubon. “It’s very important that we think about this proactively as we go forward. It is much better to conserve species before listing is ever required.”

Following the nationwide recovery of the bald eagle, starting in the Chesapeake Bay, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisted the predatory bird in 2007.

The national ban on DDT, as well as policies aiming to protect birds of prey, played a role in the eagles’ recovery, said Jason Weckstein, an ornithologist at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.

“Eagles are an amazing success story. They went from being pretty rare — it was not something that you saw in the suburbs — and now, here in my neighborhood in Wynnewood, I see bald eagles all the time,” he said. “Look up, because there’s a good chance you’ll be able to see an eagle.”

However, several states did not immediately remove bald eagles from their own endangered species lists. For example, Pennsylvania made the move in 2014.