West suburban Chicago community mourns teenage boy killed in avalanche in Swiss Alps
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (CBS) -- A spring break trip turned tragic for a Naperville family – when a 15-year-old boy got caught in an avalanche and died in the Swiss Alps.
Students at Naperville Central High School found out their classmate and friend, Aleksas Beiga, would not return – after the freshman's spring break trip took that tragic turn while skiing with family.
Video showed the moment the avalanche took over the ski resort in Switzerland. Buried under the snow were four people – three of whom were killed.
Aleksas, Alex for short, was among those three.
"It's been very hard," said Todd Capen. "He was just a fantastic young man."
Capen had coached Alex in swimming since the boy was just 10. He recalls a kid who enjoyed life to the fullest.
"He lit up a room whenever he walked into it. He knew when to be serious, when to be funny, when you needed to hear a joke, when needed to be told something he may not want to hear - especially to his teammates," Capen said. "He was just a great young man."
The 15-year-old was also very excited about his spring break trip to the Switzerland slopes.
"He was talking to a bunch of his teammates about how excited he was to go to this resort in Switzerland - like he was a daredevil," said Capen. "He loved skiing. He loved biking."
Capen admitted it is hard for him, and for Alex's swim-mates, to deal with the loss.
"And the best thing we can keep reiterating is that we're all going through it together. Lean on one another. Lean on us. Lean on your parents. Lean on professionals, if that's who you need to talk to," he said. "But talk."
And while the circumstances of how Alex died are horrific, Capen – known to his swimmers as Coach Todd – said he will always remember the kid who would make him smile by doing a silly dance in front of the pool.
"He broke into what I can only describe was the most awkward dance moves of all time, and I happened to have my phone out - and I videotaped it," said Capen. "He just would break into random dance or do funny things, just to get a smile or a laugh out of people."
Close family friends said Alex's family was just too emotional to talk. Alex is survived by his parents, sister, and friends at Naperville Central.
