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Community mourns loss of 26-year-old Mass. man who died in New Mexico avalanche

A community is mourning after the loss of a 26-year-old Massachusetts native after he was killed in an avalanche while skiing at a New Mexico resort.

Matt Zonghetti, a 26-year-old Mansfield native, was killed at the resort Thursday morning, despite rescue attempts from the dozens of people who tried to help.

One of the rescuers was former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, who happened to witness the tragedy on the mountain that buried another skier, leaving him in critical condition.

"Hundreds of skiers came together to look for these guys and when we found them, I mean they were gone," Johnson said.

Both skiers were treated on the mountain before being rushed to the hospital, where Zonghetti died.

>>RELATED: Mass. man dead, other man in critical condition after ski resort avalanche

His football coach called the 2010 Mansfield High School graduate "simply one of the finest young men I ever had the honor of coaching. Hoping he's in a better place, but we all miss him.

Teresa Murphy, the Mansfield Public Schools superintendent also added a statement, saying how proud the community was to have Zonghetti.

"Matt Zonghetti was an outstanding Mansfield High School student athlete and citizen," the statement read. "We are proud to consider him one of our own. His death is a tragic loss and our school community is heartbroken.”

It's still unclear what triggered the avalanche, and the resort said it detonated explosives Thursday to prevent avalanches.