Updated on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2024, at 2:23 p.m.
A man was airlifted to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood after falling from a chairlift at Keystone Ski Resort. Both Keystone Ski Patrol and the Summit County Sheriff's Office responded to the incident.
The 32-year-old guest was a snowboarder who was tightening his bindings when he fell from the Ruby Express lift on Wednesday afternoon, police said.
Denverite Editor Andrew Kenney was on the same chairlift shortly after the man fell. While he did not see the man fall, he witnessed the response by snow patrollers as they rushed to treat the man.
According to Kenney, the snowboarder fell a significant distance onto the Diamondback trail shortly after boarding the lift. Chairs on the lift gain elevation quickly after departing the boarding station. The trail below, which hasn’t yet opened for the season, was covered by rocks and a thin layer of snow. The chairlift ran for “some time after he fell,” said Kenney.
According to the Passenger Tramway Safety Board — the state-run agency in charge of inspecting chairlift safety — the snowboarder fell 47 feet, after “momentarily hanging on to the armrest.” The restraint bar was up at the time, the agency said.
The Board initially investigated the incident, but as the fall “does not appear to have been caused by a lift malfunction,” they decided the incident didn’t require “any further investigation.”
“I'm guessing the lower lift station operator did not see the fall,” said Kenney. “So either a 911 call or someone who witnessed had to get the word to the lift operator.”
The lift stopped while a squad of ski patrollers hustled up the slope to reach the snowboarder. Numerous guests saw the scene unfold as their chairs hung above the scene or passed over it, according to Kenney, adding that he hoped for the best for the man and extended his sympathy to the man’s family and friends and others who witnessed the traumatic incident. The chairlift was closed for some time after the fall.
Keystone Resort did not provide additional information about the man’s condition.
According to an officer with Summit County Sheriff's Office, chairlift falls in Summit County are “uncommon.” The sheriff's office responds to one fall every other ski season or so.
Despite that, a spokesperson with St. Anthony Hospital told CPR News, “Sadly, we see a number of skiers airlifted to St. Anthony Hospital this time of year,” in a statement.
The Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board is investigating the incident.
This story may be updated with additional information. Andrew Kenney contributed to this report.
