Ava Ahlander, 23, Killed in Freak Accident at Utah’s Redwest Music Festival After Scaffolding Collapsed During Sudden Windstorm [PHOTOS]

Tragedy struck at the Redwest Music Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah, when Ava Ahlander, 23, was killed in a freak accident after debris from a nearby construction site fell during sudden gusts of wind on Saturday afternoon.

According to reports, Ahlander and her friends were running for shelter as powerful winds swept through the Utah State Fairpark around 5 p.m. when a large wooden plank was torn loose from scaffolding and came crashing down.

“It just hit her in the head… in the neck. It was hard. It was fast,” her uncle, Bobby Ahlander, told KUTV. “The doctors said after they were able to get her stable and do a CT scan that it basically crushed her brain stem.”

While her three friends escaped unharmed, Ahlander sustained critical, life-threatening injuries. She was rushed to the hospital but tragically succumbed to her injuries, her family confirmed.

Ahlander, originally from American Fork, Utah, had been living in Seattle and returned home to attend the country music event — which featured major acts like Post Malone — with her close friends.

Her uncle described her as full of life:

“She just always loved having fun. It was really fun to be around her. Honestly, it’s been excruciating. The grief and the sorrow… it’s just such a huge loss.”

Despite paramedics managing to revive her at the scene, doctors later confirmed she had no brain activity. Her family made the heartbreaking decision to keep her on life support long enough to say their goodbyes.

In a final act of generosity, Ahlander’s organs were donated, fulfilling a decision she had made years earlier.

“She had made the decision a few years ago to be an organ donor,” her uncle shared. “Now, many people are going to benefit from that — and I just think that’s so beautiful.”

Ahlander was remembered as a vibrant spirit who loved music, the outdoors, and the ocean. After graduating from American Fork High School, she moved to Oregon for college and later settled in Seattle, where she built a life she loved.

“Ava was an absolute delight of a human being. Everyone loved her. She had the best smile,” her uncle wrote in a Facebook tribute.

A GoFundMe set up in her memory had raised over $20,900 as of Tuesday afternoon to assist the family with funeral and medical expenses.