Friends, Family Mourn Loss Of El Dorado Hills Teen Killed In Sledding Accident

EL DORADO HILLS (CBS13) - A day of winter fun with family and friends ended in a freak sledding accident, the life of an El Dorado Hills teen was cut short in an instant.

Family, friends, and dozens of classmates gathered Tuesday night to remember the 15-year-old.

It was a salute to a fallen teammate, a night of memories and misty eyes for No. 76.

"He was just an endlessly great guy."

"Amazing boy, always ready to help."

They were talking about Dylan Ridolfi, an Oak Ridge High School freshman and football player who was killed Sunday in a Sierra sledding accident near Mt. Rose, not far from Reno.

Michael Bishoff was one of Dylan's best friends. He was there when the kid they called "Teddy Bear" hit that tree.

"He's a bigger guy, and he couldn't really maneuver away, and there was a tree, and he, he hit it," Michael said. "I ran up as fast as I could, I checked his pulse and I yelled for somebody to call 911. This is just a freak accident. It should have never happened. He was only 15 years old."

But try as they might to save Dylan, the impact was simply too much -- he died on the mountain.

"He was a brother to every single one of us on the Oak Ridge team," Michael said.

That's why Tuesday night was dedicated to Dylan -- candle light and comforting words to help ease the pain.

"We've been doing everything we can to show him that we love him, that we miss him," a teammate said.

"God has another angel, 76 in heaven, and we're just really sad," a parent said.

Sadness marked with confusion -- and maybe even a lesson.

"Just kind of teaches you that life is fragile, and you've got to live it to the fullest like Dylan always did," a teammate said.