FARMINGTON HILLS (WWJ) - Tragedy struck family, friends and classmates of a Farmington Hills teen after he died while taking part in an Alaskan hiking trip on Monday.
Officials with Tamarack Camps, a Jewish-based camping organization and community in Bloomfield Hills, announced 16-year-old Simon Mirkes collapsed and died on July 18 while participating in their "Alaska Two" trip.
Mirkes was hiking in an undisclosed when the incident occurred, officials said in a post to social media. The exact cause of death remains unknown at this time.
Officials further stated in a letter to parents that the 16-year-old was given CPR, but "tragically he passed away."
"We cannot convey the pain and sadness we feel for the Mirkes family, and we will continue to keep them in our hearts while we grieve together as a community," Tamarack Camps said in a public post to social media.
The organization added that the other campers and staff in Alaska are all safe and receiving support through the tragedy by the Chabad in Anchorage. Other staff members are currently on the way to Alaska to provide additional help to campers.
Camp officials and the Mirkes family are in close communication as they figure out their next steps.
"This tragedy impacts all of us," camp organizers continued. "While there are many resources to help, one within the Jewish community is Jewish Family Service. JFS has a Crisis Response Team – a group of trained social workers who help people who have faced tragic circumstances receive support in the immediate aftermath. If you want to talk to someone on this Crisis Response Team, please call 248.592.2313."
Additional support is being offered by a medical care team, along with community partners, to campers and staff across all of Tamarack Camps' programs.
"We deeply appreciate the help that has been offered during this very difficult time.
A funeral services for Mirkes has been scheduled for Friday at the Dorfman Chapel at 30440 W. 12 Mile Road in Farmington Hills.
According to the chapel, the service is to begin at noon and will be broadcast live.
Tamarack Camps' website describes the trip Mirkes' was a part of as a 48-day hiking excursion for teens entering 11th grade. The trip includes hiking, camping, and touring Alaska and the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
The itinerary for the trip includes visits to Last Frontier, the historic Klondike Gold Rush trail, ice climb on a glacier, fish for salmon, explore the Banff and Jasper National Parks in the Canadian Rockies and more.