An 8-year-old boy was airlifted to a Twin Cities hospital Monday night after falling 30 to 40 feet from a chairlift on Mount Ski Gull in Minnesota.
According CBS NewsEmergency services treated the boy at the scene before transporting him by Life Link helicopter for further medical care. The child’s current condition is unknown and the cause of the accident has not yet been determined.
The incident prompted a rapid response from multiple agencies, including Ski Gull Ski Patrol, Pillager Fire & Rescue, North Memorial Ambulance and Life Link Helicopter. WJON News reported.
By fox 9This accident follows similar incidents on chairlifts at other ski resorts in recent weeks. Earlier this month, a 32-year-old snowboarder fell off a chairlift at Keystone Resort in Colorado. Reports indicated that the snowboarder bent over to adjust his bindings when he slipped off the Ruby Express lift. He was transported to St.
Antonio Hospital in Lakewood, Colorado, after receiving immediate assistance from the Keystone Ski Patrol and the Summit County Sheriff’s Department. Keystone’s downfall came on the heels of a fatal incident in 2023 at the Breckenridge ski resort, also in Colorado, highlighting the importance of lift safety awareness.
The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) emphasizes that visitors should familiarize themselves with chairlift operations before using it and always lower the safety bar, when available. For families, it is recommended that adults help children properly secure the safety bar to avoid accidents.
According to NSAA data, the majority of chairlift falls are not serious and occur in loading or unloading areas. Since 1973, there have been only 14 fatal falls from chairlifts in the United States, and almost half were due to medical emergencies during chairlift rides. Chairlift breakdowns, although rare, have caused 16 deaths in nine incidents since 1973, the most recent occurring in 2020.
Mount Ski Gull, a small ski area in central Minnesota, opened its season on December 6 and was recently named “Best Place for Winter Family Fun” in the Brainerd Lakes Area for 2024. As research continues on The latest chairlift accident, the incident serves as a reminder of the importance of safety protocols, especially for younger riders.