UPDATE: Skier Dies after "Chairlift Incident" at Red Lodge (Second Lift Incident of the Day)

[thetrailboss]

They’re now saying that this was not wind but some kind of “malfunction”:

‘He was a friend, a mentor:’ Man dies after falling from chairlift at Montana ski resort

A 37-year-old man died after falling from a chairlift that was having a mechanical problem at a Montana ski area, according to local authorities.

www.wcax.com

 

[thetrailboss]

Red Lodge Mountain faces lift safety concerns after passenger fall

RED LODGE — Questions are swirling about the safety of the chairlifts on Red Lodge Mountain after a passenger fell from the Triple Chair on Monday.

www.ktvq.com

 

[thetrailboss]

LiftBlog is reporting that the incident occurred due to an "unusually aggressive deropement" event due to high winds. Wow. A safety bar may or may not have helped.

Red Lodge Mountain Confirms Deropement Caused Lift Rider’s Death

An “unexpectedly strong wind gust” caused the Triple Chair at Red Lodge Mountain to derope on Monday, leading to the death of a guest, the resort confirmed this morning. Thirty seven ye…

liftblog.com

 

[doublediamond]

Would a "unusually aggressive deropement" mean the cable catchers didn't catch the cable? If so yikes!

 

[thetrailboss]

Would a "unusually aggressive deropement" mean the cable catchers didn't catch the cable? If so yikes!

That’s how I read it. Similar to the Park City/Canyons incident last year.

 

[Smellytele]

That’s how I read it. Similar to the Park City/Canyons incident last year.

I think similar to the pats peak one as well

 

[thetrailboss]

Deadly ski lift fall puts safety bars in the spotlight

A skier died in Montana after falling from a chairlift with no safety bar. Our Connor Ullathorne talked with people in Vermont about their bar behavior.

www.wcax.com

 

[BenedictGomez]

It's a weird cultural thing in the west where most people don't put the bar down. Exact opposite of the east. I'm pretty much always the one to lower the bar now.

 

[deadheadskier]

In Vermont it's actually the law to put the safety bars down. Not sure how long it's been a law, but a Google search brought me to a thread here from 2009.

My comment in that thread was I like it down not only for the safety, but I also like to lean on it. Still feel the same. I still feel making it a law is kinda questionable, but if that's what it takes to change the attitudes of some folks that seem so against it, maybe it's not such a bad thing.

What's interesting is that attitude is more common out West where many chairs can be much higher off the ground than here.

 

[kbroderick]

In Vermont it's actually the law to put the safety bars down. Not sure how long it's been a law, but a Google search brought me to a thread here from 2009.

My comment in that thread was I like it down not only for the safety, but I also like to lean on it. Still feel the same. I still feel making it a law is kinda questionable, but if that's what it takes to change the attitudes of some folks that seem so against it, maybe it's not such a bad thing.

What's interesting is that attitude is more common out West where many chairs can be much higher off the ground than here.

Vermont and New York have both required bar use as a regulatory policy since at least the mid 1990s (it was often a matter of discussion at regional race events because New Hampshire and Maine don't hold ski areas responsible for making their guests use the bar, but Vermont and New York do). It's worth noting that, as far as I know, the ski lift operator is responsible for (and may be penalized in the absence of) bar usage, so it's up to them to get their guests to behave; I've never heard of an individual getting ticketed by the state for failure to comply.

 

[urungus]

New Hampshire and Maine don't hold ski areas responsible for making their guests use the bar

Are there any chairlifts in New Hampshire or Maine that don’t have a safety bar ?

 

[thetrailboss]

I do have to wonder if the insurer(s) will now require all places to have safety bars regardless of state law. And I say “insurer(s)” because there are not many carriers for ski areas. I know of one that covers most of the areas. I’ve only heard of one other.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I do have to wonder if the insurer(s) will now require all places to have safety bars regardless of state law.

The new lift that opened at Deer Valley a few weeks back has an "automatic bar", like rides at Disney (i.e. you have no choice).

My guess is that design will get more & more common until it's the only new install option there is, due to insurance, safety, and liability reasons.

 

[skiur]

Not putting the bar down is the same as not wearing a seatbelt, it makes no sense but some people are just too cool to do it.

 

[Killingtime]

It's a weird cultural thing in the west where most people don't put the bar down. Exact opposite of the east. I'm pretty much always the one to lower the bar now.

I was at Copper in February and I made sure the bar came down every time. No one complained. I rode with some patrollers who admitted it was a problem with people not using safety bars. They thought it had more to do with snowboarders not wanting the bars because the foot rest get in the way. I still think its an out west culture thing.

 

[Hastur]

I was at Copper in February and I made sure the bar came down every time. No one complained. I rode with some patrollers who admitted it was a problem with people not using safety bars. They thought it had more to do with snowboarders not wanting the bars because the foot rest get in the way. I still think its an out west culture thing.

that is about the dumbest shit I've ever heard

 

[thetrailboss]

FWIW the WCAX story, and others, are making the implicit assumption that having the bar down would have prevented the Red Lodge accident. The deropement event was so violent that this is questionable. The same could be said about the January 2023 incident at Park City/Canyons involving a ski patroller who was on a chair when a tree hit the line and caused a violent wave reaction to the haul rope. In both instances, the force was so significant that a bar might not have made any difference at all.

Of course having the bar as an option is a different issue.

 

[drjeff]

FWIW the WCAX story, and others, are making the implicit assumption that having the bar down would have prevented the Red Lodge accident. The deropement event was so violent that this is questionable. The same could be said about the January 2023 incident at Park City/Canyons involving a ski patroller who was on a chair when a tree hit the line and caused a violent wave reaction to the haul rope. In both instances, the force was so significant that a bar might not have made any difference at all.

Of course having the bar as an option is a different issue.

We'll never know the answer in those cases if having a bar down would of made a difference or not.

Anecdotally, it sure seems like if one has the bar down, and it's a bar with foot rests, and you're using the foot rests, its going to take a BIG amount of force from any oscillation event like seem to be the cause of the 2 instance you mentioned, to "eject" someone from that type of scenario.

Personnaly when riding a chair, as the carrier is leaving the base terminal, I just say "coming down" if there's anyone of the lift with me, and lower the bar. Never had anyone object (even at the very park user heavy Nitro Quad at Carinthia at Mount Snow ). And also that way, you are far less likely to say have a taller person get hit in the back of their head/helmet as the bar comes down and/or have anyone get their gear wedged underneath any component of the safety bar

 

[skiur]

We'll never know the answer in those cases if having a bar down would of made a difference or not.

Anecdotally, it sure seems like if one has the bar down, and it's a bar with foot rests, and you're using the foot rests, its going to take a BIG amount of force from any oscillation event like seem to be the cause of the 2 instance you mentioned, to "eject" someone from that type of scenario.

Personnaly when riding a chair, as the carrier is leaving the base terminal, I just say "coming down" if there's anyone of the lift with me, and lower the bar. Never had anyone object (even at the very park user heavy Nitro Quad at Carinthia at Mount Snow ). And also that way, you are far less likely to say have a taller person get hit in the back of their head/helmet as the bar comes down and/or have anyone get their gear wedged underneath any component of the safety bar

I applaud you for announcing that you are putting the bar down, some people like to silently do that before everybody even has a chance to sit.

 

[thetrailboss]

I applaud you for announcing that you are putting the bar down, some people like to silently do that before everybody even has a chance to sit.

Yes. It is common courtesy to let folks know that one is lowering the bar. Unfortunately it is not so common anymore....