A New York teenager, who saved her cousin in a sledding accident, died tragically last Saturday.
Renee Hill is a 16-year-old girl who is now considered a hero teenager. That is after she sacrificed her safety to ensure her cousin will be safe from crashing into a tree.
The sledding accident occurred at Clyde L. Burmaster Park in the town of Lewiston last Saturday.
The sledding accident
The New York teenager's family was having a weekend getaway. According to her mother, Alexis Kraft, her daughter was sledding with family members when something wrong happened.
In an interview with WKBW-TV, Kraft said, "She had (gone) down the hill. She had my 3-year-old nephew on with her. She saw the tree coming."
Renee put her foot down and flip the sled with her cousin. That way, the 3-year-old boy will not get hurt. The sad thing about this is that she, unfortunately, hit the tree.
Because of the incident, the sledding hill at the Clyde L. Burmaster Park was closed. That is until the Town of Lewiston Police Department and the Niagara County Sheriff's Office are done with their investigation.
The cousin is safe
After the incident, the family brought the 3-year-old cousin of Renee to the hospital as well. He sustained injuries and was treated at the hospital. He was later released and is now doing fine, according to the sheriff's office.
The New York teenager
The family immediately called for help. The Pekin Fire Company and Tri-Community Ambulance responded to the incident and provided first aid.
However, on their way to the hospital, the New York teenager's heart stopped. According to the Niagara Country Sheriff's Office report, Renee was pronounced dead before she arrived at John R. Oishei Children's Hospital in Buffalo.
Renee is the eldest among the four children in her family. She attended Niagara Wheatfield High School and was a sophomore.
Her mom describes the New York teenager as a "mama bear." She said, "She could get them in line quick, but she was loving, and they all loved her."
Although everyone is calling Renee a hero, her mom is still devastated that she lost her "baby girl."
GoFundMe Campaign
After the New York teenager's sudden death, the family is now facing the struggle of paying for her funeral expenses.
That is why the family put up a GoFundMe campaign to gather funds for Renee's funeral.
As of writing, the campaign has already received donations from 653 people. They have gathered more than 25,000 US dollars, which was the fundraiser's initial goal.
The final details of Renee's funeral are still to be finalized.
