Skilifts.org / SORT Forum

I have. Have you?

Incident 1-Ski Brule, MI-I was riding single so I was going to sit on the inside but the op thought I was going to sit on the outside so he pushed the chair in and the bar ended up swooping me up and threw me from a few feet in the air.

Incident 2-Whitecap Mountains, WI-Got on double chair right outside the lodge, somehow only got half way on the chair as I was readjusting to get on the lift my ski tips got caught in the snow and pulled the chair back and me and my friend were dumped.

Yesterday I was working (Devil's Head) a father and his young son got on, slowed the lift for him and tried to get him on, well he almost fell but the father was holding him up, I kept it slowed in case he fell he was still dangling about 25 feet in the air, he was eventually lifted onto the chair and the crowd/line cheered. One of the scariest experiences I've had in the 2 years I've worked there.


Just curious to hear if anyone else has.

dh_lift_op, on Mar 23 2008, 05:38 PM, said:

No, but not seated equals "STOP THE LIFT"

I was about 12 or so and I was riding Little Chief at Deer Valley the first year it opened, it was snowing hard and the guy in the middle seat was taking his share out of my third of the chair, I didn't get on right and I fell off and landed on my feet about halfway to the first tower (about 8 feet in the air). I survived.

Incident number 2, also at DV, I was killing time waiting for someone and I rode up Snowflake, I turned around near the top and my ski tip dropped into the snow. I went out the front and landed on my face in deep powder, probably in 2004 or 05 when they had a ton of snow. Pretty embarrassing, especially in front of a bunch of little kids

Five or six years ago, my daughter and I were going to get on Beginner Lift at Brighton, because my car parked very close to that lift so we don't have to walk over the other lift. The snow was on the chair, the opr didn't brush it off, we went into the load zone, I quickly brushed it off before I quickly sat down, I lost my balance, I fall only 3 feet in the air and I went into the deep snow. I couldn't climb up out of the snow, the opr digged off and lifted me up. My daughter laughed so hard at me.

Two weeks ago, at DV, the Homestake lift, I checked the equipment and the clothes to loose before I get off when I got off, the chair armrest caught between my coat zipper and the lift passes, I felt the chair pulled me, I screamed, and I fall. The opr stopped the lfit and removed it. I was scared. I learned a lesson so I have to check the lift passes away from the chair!!!

No, I get on. Oh, by the way, in places other than WI, its best pratice for the op to stop the chair if your people don't get on .

I think the question should be "Have you ever fallen from a chairlift ?" and yes is the answer. (PM me for details) Have you ever fallen in the load area of a chair lift? yes, much to my humiliation lack of attention and familiarity.

I have never fallen off a lift but I have crashed upon getting off. And looked up just in time to get hit in the head by the chair.

i got mowed over by our Badger lift once last year when the op didn't flip the seat down in time.

Let's go back to the mid 80's, a Doppelmayr FG triple, portal drive, overhead carriage. My Boss and I (in full company regalia) are loading the chair, it's snowing heavily, both of us turn around to brush off the seat, right as we both turn back uphill, we are dumped on our faces off the end of the ramp.The load ramp had been getting really long and the groomers had removed the ramp right back to the front portal mast the night before.

Just this season on Skyline Express at Stevens Pass, someone decided to change loading positions WHILE LOADING THE CHAIR! Even better! I was in the middle! So I end up falling off the chair in the accelerator and they end up stopping the lift. Took me two minutes just to unhook my skis and get out of the loading zone. Then on another lift, they were telling me "don't fall off". That is why I warn people, don't make me repeat that experience!

I've fallen off the loading area once after the lip, some dumb blondie decided that in order for her to sit next to her friend she would sit were i was going to sit and went right behind me, i landed on her and she pushed me off right when we were getting off the lip of snow, i fell about 2 feet. But i don't know if that counts so i'll wait for approval.

Never fallen out of a chair, although I've been pulled from one by my own fall protection.

I fell from the motor room of a chairlift....................does that count ?

mjturley34, on Mar 28 2008, 12:20 AM, said:

It does say ever fallen off a lift, we all assume they were talking about a chair but it doesn’t say that.

ah the details

No, but i've been told that 90% of the people that die from falling off a lift were climbing on a ladder.

mjturley34, on Mar 28 2008, 04:44 PM, said:

When are the chairlift builders going to realize thier motor room ladders\stairs are dangerous? Are they ladders or stairs? Is a smashed up foot, broken neck, or even worse, a dead lift mechanic worth the price if a little steel? It's about time we put a little pressure on the lift builders to provide us a safe work environment!!!

I believe that here in CO any time you do a Major Modification to a lift, you have to make your ladders meet certain guidelines. In '99 we shortened the Flyer by 100' and lowered the bottom terminal; as part of that process the original vertical ladders up to the terminals had to be removed and replaced with 'stair-ladders' that are basically very steep stairs. You can walk down them fairly well, although it's a good idea to keep one hand on the rail.
Emax has posted some pictures in the past of some great stairs he has on his lifts. They take the place of the original ladders.

lift rat, on Mar 31 2008, 01:07 PM, said:

Lift manufacturers build lifts to code B77 and OSHA. If you feel a ladder is to steep for you, the area can always add additional fall protection. Furthermore if additional fall protection is wanted by a ski area the manufacturer will gladly add this into the cost, the penny pinchers in the front office always look for ways to cut costs. So if you want additional fall protection, tell the people purchasing the lift you want it.
By the way older lifts can be retrofitted with additional fall protection, you just have to stop whining and do it, for one or two ladders or stairs it is really an inexpensive process.
But then again once the protection is in place you will probably complain that going into and out of the terminal takes to long.
This post has been edited by chasl: 01 April 2008 - 01:51 AM

yes ,but i was pushed off, long story