Westford, MA – A local 13-year-old boy died on Saturday after striking a tree at Nashoba Valley ski area in Westford, in what is believed to be the first fatal skiing accident at this Massachusetts resort.

Rajiv Paluri of Westford was found around 2:20 p.m. Saturday afternoon between Nashoba’s intermediate Tomahawk and black-diamond Lobo runs, where he apparently landed after losing control and striking a tree. After being evacuated by ski patrol, Paluri was rushed to nearby Lowell General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. According to investigators, he was wearing a helmet.

Blanchard Middle School in Westford, where Paluri was enrolled in the eighth grade, has been holding grief and counseling sessions for students and faculty.

“With great sadness, we must tell you that a 13-year-old Massachusetts boy sustained fatal injuries today in a collision with a tree between the Tomahawk and Lobo trails,” Nashoba Valley officials posted on Saturday to the resort’s Facebook page. “We can only imagine what his family is going through.”

The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and Westford police are continuing their investigation.