Cadet from Concord passes following ski slope injury at West Point Thursday

By LTC Christopher Ophardt, Director of Public Affairs and Communications, U.S. Military Academy

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Cadet Peter L. Zhu, a member of the Class of 2019, passed Feb. 28 at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, New York, with his family by his side, after succumbing to injuries sustained on Feb. 23 while skiing at Victor Constant Ski Area located on the academy grounds.

“I wish to extend to his family the sincere and profound sympathy of the U. S. Military Academy and all members of this command. We lost a brother today, and the pain will be felt for a long time,” said Superintendent Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams.

Zhu, 21, of Concord, California, was found unresponsive by a fellow skier on Saturday afternoon on the slope. Ski Patrol conducted life-saving measures as he was transported to Keller Army Community Hospital and then airlifted to Westchester. The details of this incident are under investigation.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Zhu family during this difficult time. The entire West Point community is heartbroken over this tragedy,” said Brig. Gen. Steve Gilland, commandant of cadets. “Peter was one of the top cadets in the Class of 2019, very well-known and a friend to all. He embodied the ideals of the Corps of Cadets and its motto of Duty, Honor, Country and all who knew Peter will miss him.”

Zhu was an accomplished cadet who was President of the Cadet Medical Society and served on Regimental Staff the first semester of his senior year. He was looking forward to receiving a commission as a Medical Corps Officer and attending the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences for medical school.

According to his Facebook page, Zhu was a native of Hongku, Shanghai, China and a graduate of De La Salle High School in Concord, CA.

A memorial ceremony for the West Point community and private funeral service will be held at West Point next week.

About West Point

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point is a four-year, co-educational, federal, liberal arts college located 50 miles north of New York City. It was founded in 1802 as America’s first college of engineering and continues today as the world’s premier leader-development institution, consistently ranked among top colleges in the country. Its mission remains constant— to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as an officer in the U. S. Army. For more information, go to www.westpoint.edu.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.