NY Post today published a video showing a 12-year-old girl suspended in the air after slipping from a chairlift at the Mammoth Mountain ski resort in California last weekend. The incident appeared to occur because the safety bar on her seat was not lowered properly.
Several resort employees rushed to her aid, attempting to spread crash mats and safety nets below to catch the girl. However, she lost her grip and fell approximately 9 meters onto the snow before the rescue team could fully deploy the mats.
A video of the incident was posted by the account Hello Kristen on social media to highlight the importance of lowering the safety bar when using chairlifts. "It is mandatory in Europe and should be here too", Hello Kristen emphasized.
In a comment under the social media post, the girl's mother stated that her daughter "had a miraculous escape, with no broken bones or serious injuries".
The mother explained that the chairlift moved immediately when her daughter sat down, and no one had time to lower the safety bar. "There was no wrongdoing. Everything happened very fast. A rare accident", the mother added.
The video shows the girl seemingly sitting next to two other people before she fell. According to her mother, they tried to hold her for as long as possible, giving staff more time to respond.
Despite the significant shock, the mother said the family would not give up skiing and would return "once her daughter is ready."
Duc Trung (According to NY Post, FOX News, ABC News)