• Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast!

    You may have to REGISTER before you can post. Registering is FREE, gets rid of the majority of advertisements, and lets you participate in giveaways and other AlpineZone events!

Kid falls from Ragged chair

ironhippy

Member
Joined
May 16, 2014
Messages
408
Points
18
Location
NB Canda
I'd like to hear further on how the child fell. The dad is acting like it could happen to anyone at any time, but how often does one child fall off the chair lift (especially when you are far enough away to be 25-30 feet above the ground)?
Seems something else was going on.
 

Puck it

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 26, 2006
Messages
9,681
Points
48
Location
Franconia, NH
Something sounds a little strange. What about other people loading the lift? They should have seen this happening and yelled to the liftie. It sounds like the lift kept running.
 

trackbiker

Active member
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Messages
354
Points
28
Location
Eastern PA
Sounds like the father was on the chair with the kid. And he wants to blame the ski area? Maybe they should sue him for being negligent.
 

ironhippy

Member
Joined
May 16, 2014
Messages
408
Points
18
Location
NB Canda
Something sounds a little strange. What about other people loading the lift? They should have seen this happening and yelled to the liftie. It sounds like the lift kept running.

I took it as they were not right at the lift station, but you are right, if there were people in line they should have been yelling. I've never seen an open lift without an attendant, but they could have been in the hut or shovelling on the other side or something.

If it wasn't busy, there might not have been anyone else waiting in line, so once they got loaded on the chair, the lifty could have started doing something else and not noticed the fall.
 

D-2.5-GT

New member
Joined
Jan 21, 2013
Messages
27
Points
1
Union Leader article also indicated the dad has taken the son to 3 hospitals so far to "determine the full extent of his son's injuries."
It sounds like fishing for a lawsuit in 5,4,3,2.....
 

Puck it

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 26, 2006
Messages
9,681
Points
48
Location
Franconia, NH
I took it as they were not right at the lift station, but you are right, if there were people in line they should have been yelling. I've never seen an open lift without an attendant, but they could have been in the hut or shovelling on the other side or something.

If it wasn't busy, there might not have been anyone else waiting in line, so once they got loaded on the chair, the lifty could have started doing something else and not noticed the fall.
That is true.
But I think it was the six pack and that should have had people on it. Only other lift open is the barnyard triple.
 

ironhippy

Member
Joined
May 16, 2014
Messages
408
Points
18
Location
NB Canda
Union Leader article also indicated the dad has taken the son to 3 hospitals so far to "determine the full extent of his son's injuries."
It sounds like fishing for a lawsuit in 5,4,3,2.....

I caught that too, but didn't follow through on what it meant.

That makes a lot of sense, it'll be interesting if/when this case comes back up.
 

deadheadskier

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Mar 6, 2005
Messages
27,921
Points
113
Location
Southeast NH
Thing is though, what lawyer would instruct the parent to talk to the media? I would think he would be told to keep quiet.

Hopefully the kid recovers quickly and puts this behind him.

Hard to say what happened without more details.
 

dlague

Active member
Joined
Nov 7, 2012
Messages
8,792
Points
36
Location
CS, Colorado
My understanding is that the child fell mid way up! Did the dad not put the bar down? The the kid not seated all the way back? Was the dad even paying attention and protecting his kid. When I help ski instructors I make sure the kids are fully seated back.
 

MEtoVTSkier

Active member
Joined
Jan 25, 2011
Messages
1,234
Points
38
Location
Aroostook County, ME
What's going to happen is Mountains are going to start installing cameras that point at the chairs soon to show if people are sitting in the chairs correctly.
 

dlague

Active member
Joined
Nov 7, 2012
Messages
8,792
Points
36
Location
CS, Colorado
What's going to happen is Mountains are going to start installing cameras that point at the chairs soon to show if people are sitting in the chairs correctly.

That would not be surprising! Or at least at the towers. That in itself may lead to monitoring.
 

Not Sure

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 14, 2013
Messages
2,858
Points
63
Location
Lehigh County Pa.
Website
www.youtube.com
I caught that too, but didn't follow through on what it meant.

That makes a lot of sense, it'll be interesting if/when this case comes back up.

Hopefully there was a witness , "Tramatized for the rest of his life . Don't want anyone else ..,. "Sounds like fishing .

My oldest when he was 4 threw a tantrum and almost slipped through the bar even with me grabbing his coat by the chest . Was thinking a little kid but 12 yr old ? Snow on seat ? Didn't see any mention .
Pretty soon they'll be cameras in the lift poles .
 

thetrailboss

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
32,335
Points
113
Location
NEK by Birth
Union Leader article also indicated the dad has taken the son to 3 hospitals so far to "determine the full extent of his son's injuries."
It sounds like fishing for a lawsuit in 5,4,3,2.....

The "going to three hospitals" line also jumped out at me.
 

thetrailboss

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
32,335
Points
113
Location
NEK by Birth
Thing is though, what lawyer would instruct the parent to talk to the media? I would think he would be told to keep quiet.

Hopefully the kid recovers quickly and puts this behind him.

Hard to say what happened without more details.

You're assuming that Dad actually talked to a lawyer before creating this media scene.
 

gmcunni

Active member
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Messages
11,500
Points
38
Location
CO Front Range
is there video? doesn't load for me but reading the transcript:

HE SAYS HIS 11-YEAR-OLD SON HAS BEEN TO THREE HOSPITAL SO FAR. HE HAS FAULTS, BRUISES, AND A CONCUSSION BUT IS EXPECTED TO BE OK.

doesn't say HE TOOK him but that he's been to 3 hospitals. there is a difference. my daughter was taken to 2 (3 if you count the clinic @ the mountain) hospitals when she was hurt (4 if you count the one at home too). my buddy's kid went to 3 (4 if you count the clinic at the mountain) when he broke his leg.

and for the part about being traumatized forever.. true. i still get nauseous when i think about my daughter's accident.
 

doublediamond

Active member
Joined
Dec 22, 2013
Messages
450
Points
28
Suddenly breaking up into tears, then speaks clearly immediately? Give that guy an Oscar!
 
Top