A photo of the detached ski lift. ABC News photo.
At Timberline Resort in Davis, West Virginia a ski lift derailment caused about 25 people to fall to the ground. The drop was about 30 feet according to a resort spokesperson. Only two people were hospitalized with non-life threatening issues.
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After the derailment about 100 skiers were left stranded further up the lift, all were evacuated within two hours of the incident. Fortunately, the derailment occurred on the lower part of the lift where the skiers were closer to the ground. This incident could have been much worse if it had occurred higher on the mountain, where the chair travels 60 feet above the ground.
"All of Timberline's lifts undergo thorough and rigorous inspection in a timely fashion and are in compliance with all applicable safety standards, including federal guidelines for maintenance and annual mechanical inspection and the strict safety requirements of Timberline’s insurance provider," Timberline Four Seasons Resort stated in a Facebook post.
"Daily maintenance checks are performed each morning by resort staff, and ski patrol rides the lifts and completes a visual inspection of Timberline's lifts before they are opened to the public. In our 30 year history, Timberline has never had a lift failure resulting in injury or in any way comparable to today's malfunction, and the resort will continue to investigate the cause of this incident to ensure the safety of our skiers," the resort said.
About The Author
stash member Jonathan Desabris
Digital Content Producer at TGR. Jackson Hole transplant from the Green Mountain State. Contrary to popular belief I have never lived in New Jersey.
WH1985
February 23rd, 2016
Terrible accident, they should do some extra security. Apparently sport is healthy :)
WH1985
February 23rd, 2016
I feel sorry for families
grskier
February 23rd, 2016
That’s not a derailment… That’s a failure of the tower and cross arm.
Glad the injuries aren’t worse.