‘Drunken’ skier, 29, dies after falling through gondola window and falling 130 feet before being pinned on piste mark
- A 29-year-old died after crashing into a ski lift window after drinking
- France Bleu reported that the man fell on the piste and ditched himself
A Frenchman fell to his death in the Alps after hitting a plastic window on a ski lift while he was “fooling around” under the influence of alcohol, prosecutors and an elevator operator say.
The incident occurred on Saturday when two men, 29 and 23, were descending from the mountain in the Deux-Alpes resort in France.
They “were tinkering in a lift when the 29-year-old pierced a plexiglass screen and fell 40 meters (130 feet) to his death,” local prosecutor Eric Vaillant said on Sunday.
According to local media, the men were filming themselves when the victim, who weighed more than 15 stone (100 kg), was slammed against the side of the elevator.
Local radio station France Bleu reported that the man fell down a piste and fell on himself.
A Frenchman fell to his death in the Alps after hitting a plastic window on a ski lift while he was “fooling around” under the influence of alcohol, prosecutors and an elevator operator say. Pictured: a gondola at Les Deux Alpes
Les Deux Alpes French commune, near Grenoble, surrounded by mountains
‘These are lifts designed to hold 20 people,’ Fabrice Botet, Deux Alpes Resort Manager, told BFM Today.
“If there is movement caused by sudden braking or anything else, it is designed to resist impact… This stupid accident was caused by it gaining momentum and throwing itself against the plexiglass.”
The director denied any responsibility for the incident. The ski lift is set for inspection by the police.
Les Deux Alpes, located at an altitude of 3,600 metres, is the highest ski resort in France.
Les Deux Alpes lies about 70 km from the mountainous border with Italy to the east
In February, a 50-year-old British skier died after falling “several tens of metres” and suffering cardiac arrest while skiing off-piste in the French Alps.
The tourist was seriously injured after being “taken off” into the air at “a very high speed” before landing on a cliff.
The accident occurred in the Soller sector of the resort of Meribel, northeast of Les de Alpes.
France’s National System for Mountain Safety Monitoring (SNOSM) recorded a total of 12 deaths in French mountains during the 2021-22 ski season, according to The Times.
More than 45,000 people have been treated for injuries while emergency services have accounted for around 50,000 accidents.
