Snow Fort Collapse: GoFundMe Set Up For Girl Who Died In Accident

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — The daughter of parishioners at Rothem Church has set up an online fundraising account to help pay for the funeral costs of Esther Jung, 12, who died Sunday in a snow fort collapse outside of the church. Jung's father is the pastor of the Arlington Heights church.

"The family is in shock and beyond devastated," the organizer of the GoFundMe page, who asked not to be named, wrote. "This is the church my parents attend and my own 3 daughters have visited many times. Our eldest was friends with Sophia and we are mourning this tragic loss. "

Jung, of Elk Grove Village, and her 9-year-old companion, Sophia Shin, left Rothem Church on East College Drive while adults attended service. After an hour, the girls had not returned, so some adults searched for them outside. They found the girls buried in the snow after the fort they built fell on them.

Jung died in the accident. Shin was treated at a nearby hospital for hypothermia.

The money will be used to pay for funeral expenses and other needs.

Learn more or donate at Esther Jung's GoFundMe page.

Photo via GoFundMe.