Investigating the Deadly Lift Failure in Montenegro
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A December day in the Durmitor Mountains turned into a devastating incident for all involved this week after a mechanical failure at the Savin Kuk ski resort. A routine lift ride turned deadly for a German tourist, plunging 230 feet and prompting an investigation into resort safety.
A Collision in Mid-Air
At 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 20, a chair carrying Sebastian Hetner and his wife, Hanah Espandschied, lost its grip on the haul rope. The double chair slid backward down the steep cable before slamming into the chair behind it.
The violent force of the impact ejecting Hetner from the seat. He fell roughly 70 meters (230 feet) into a steep, rocky section of the mountain and died instantly. His wife remained trapped on the lift, suffering a head injury and a compound femur fracture that required emergency surgery.
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The Human Toll of Systemic Failure
While rescuers from GSS Montenegro spent four hours evacuating other tourists in sub-zero temperatures, the conversation quickly shifted to accountability. Local leaders and infrastructure experts point to a "decades-long neglect" of the facility.
- Aging Gear: The lifts at Savin Kuk are over 35 years old.
- Maintenance Challenges: Resort management admitted that maintaining the lifts often requires "improvisation" because original replacement parts are no longer manufactured.
- Infrastructure Warnings: Experts have warned for years that insufficient investment in modernization would eventually lead to a breaking point.
Expert Review Underway
The State Prosecutor's Office has seized all maintenance documentation and halted lift operations pending a full mechanical expert review. This serves as a reminder that in the outdoor world, the most dangerous part of your adventure shouldn't be the lift ride. As we look to the future of high-altitude tourism, the safety of the journey must be as certain as the snow.
