The New York National Guard dies snowboarding at the American Dream Mall

A Long Island man who served in the Air National Guard died in a fall while snowboarding down an indoor slope at American Dream Mall in New Jersey, his family and friends said.

Peter Mathews, 24, who has served in the Maryland Air National Guard for the past two years, fell backwards and cracked his head last Thursday while riding the Megamall’s Big Snow American Dream, his sister Sarah Mathews told Newsday.

The sister, a registered nurse, tried to save Mathews on the runway – but he died later that day after being taken to Hackensack University Medical Center, the report said.

He will be buried next Monday at Calverton National Cemetery in Riverhead, Suffolk County.

Mathews was awarded the Air Force Achievement Medal earlier this year for an exercise in which he “mobilized with his squadron and A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft from the 104th Fighter Squadron to support two European-led U.S. Army exercises in Eastern Europe ‘ according to a post from the Maryland Air Force Base, where he was deployed.

“Peter was truly an amazing person and his smile lit up the room. When you had the opportunity to speak with him, you knew immediately that he had a remarkable future and was destined for greatness,” said Chief Master Sgt. Jeffrey Golabiewski, senior commander of the 175th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

His father told Newsday that Matthews wanted to become a commercial pilot when he left.