‘Heaven has truly gained an angel’: Friends remember BYU student killed in tubing accident

PROVO, Utah — An 18-year-old BYU freshman from Oregon has been identified as the victim of a fatal tubing accident at Deer Valley Ski Resort.

Anna Ruby Peterson was tubing with friends about 9 p.m. on Dec. 10 when she “collided with chairlift tower at Deer Valley’s Silver Strike Express,” according to a statement from Deer Valley. She was flown by medical helicopter to the trauma center at University of Utah Hospital where she died due to her injuries, the resort stated.

Peterson was tubing with some of her college friends that night, according to a GoFundMe* account established to help pay for her funeral. Organizers of the campaign say they also want to establish a scholarship in her honor “so that her light might still shine.”

Prior to going to college, Peterson went to Beaverton High School in Oregon where she played volleyball and was captain of the girls lacrosse team.

“Our captain Anna was an amazing person. She always had a smile on her face. She was encouraging and kind, hard working, smart, caring and fun and absolutely genuine,” the team wrote on its Facebook page. “Anna is good down to her core and it was a privilege to be part of her life. She was an amazing example of positivity, kindness and inclusion and warm leadership.”

“Heaven has truly gained an angel. … She was a leader, and an awesome human being. There is a hole in my heart right now.. Anna brought out the best of all who knew her,” a post on the team page stated shortly after her death.

Many friends also posted tributes on a Memory Tree page set up for Peterson.

“Anna was a bright light to all those around her and she left a lasting impression of kindness and compassion to all. Anna truly brightened the lives of whomever she encountered and lived her life fully as a disciple of Jesus Christ,” the page states.

“When I think of Anna, my memories are full of her love and light. She was kind, inclusive, and fun. I am grateful for the years I spent with her in young women’s and that I got to be a small part of her life,” one woman wrote on the page.

“Anna was such a beautiful soul who never stopped giving her all into everything that she did,” a former teammate wrote.

“I was a leader in Young Women’s at church when Anna was a young woman. She always had a kind and welcoming demeanor and was so sweet to the younger girls who had just joined; helping them to feel welcome and connected. I’m forever grateful for the positive light she had in young woman’s,” another post states.

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*KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.