Sugarloaf Ski Lift Accident: How Safe is Ski Resort Equipment?
Eight People Recovering from Injuries as Investigators Review Safety Record
Five of the lift's chairs were hurled to the ground in the accident, causing the injuries. Up to 200 skiers were trapped on the lift until rescuers could reach them. The condition and the names of those injured have not been released by the resort or the authorities, but none of the injuries are expected to be life-threatening.
The Sugarloaf ski lift accident is certainly not the first of its kind. In December 2008, two gondolas plunged to the ground at Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada. The accident injured 12 skiers and prompted the B.C. Safety Authority to require inspections of all ski lift and gondola equipment at Whistler to prevent another accident.
The last ski lift fatality in the United States was in 1993 at the Sierra Ski Ranch in California. A quad lift chair malfunctioned and one person was killed.
There have been a total of 12 reported ski lift accident deaths reported in the United States since 1973, the two most deadly ones occurring in the '70s, when four people died in each of two accidents at Squaw Valley and Vail. The overall total of non-fatal ski lift accidents is not known, as there is no federal requirement to report such events.
Each state is responsible for the safety of the equipment at all of the state's ski facilities. Most states have a safety board established that conducts regular safety checks, but there are no over-arching federal safety regulations for ski resorts. In Maine, the Board of Elevator and Tramway Safety conducts annual inspections and sends out technicians to investigate any accidents or irregularities. A final report on the Sugarloaf ski lift accident is expected later in January.
Published by Angie Mohr CA CMA - Featured Contributor in Business & Finance and Lifestyle
Angie Mohr is a Chartered Accountant and Certified Management Accountant who has worked with thousands of business clients from home-based entrepreneurs to rock bands to celebrity chefs. She is also the auth... View profile
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3 Comments
Post a CommentGreat work! Happy Holidays =0)
I only do X-country ski.
When i was younger and skiing I fell from the ski lift at Mt. Bachelor here in Oregon - it was because we were messing around and not paying attention I don't know if the lifts are the same today or not but I never felt safe on one then.