An aspiring firefighter died after suffering from serious injuries while vacationing at an eastern California ski resort over the weekend. 

Roman Lacayo, aged 25, was spending time at Kirkwood Mountain Resort when he suffered significant head injuries in a snowboarding mishap, as reported by the Alpine County Sheriff’s Office in an official statement.

On Saturday, members of the Kirkwood Ski Patrol attended to a “medical incident” on the resort’s intermediate slope and brought Lacayo to the Barton Medical Clinic, which is situated at the resort’s base, a representative of the resort relayed to Fox News Digital.

The authorities were alerted to the location around 12:20 p.m. following notifications of a snowboarding incident, as stated by law enforcement. He was declared deceased shortly before 1 p.m.

Lacayo had recently graduated from a Southern California fire academy and was “close to achieving his dream,” Nathan Clardy, Lacayo’s father, told KCRA-TV. 

“It’s heartbreaking because as a dad, I wasn’t there with him. I know there’s nothing I could have changed, but just not being there with him,” Clardy said.

Two days before his death, the aspiring firefighter filled out an application to join one department, the station reported. 

Clardy is now grappling with his son’s death as the family makes preparations to transport his remains to his home in Corona, telling KCRA-TV the process has been a “logistical nightmare.” 

“He embodies what we call service above self,” Clardy said. “And even prior to the fire service, his natural instinct was to take care of other people.” 

Lacayo’s family did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.