Snowboarder dies after falling from faulty chairlift at ski resort
A 37-year-old father has tragically died after falling from a chairlift at a US resort.
Jeff Zinne had been snowboarding at Red Lodge Mountain ski resort in Montana on Monday (10 March) was riding alone in a three-person chair around midday when the chairlift machine suffered a mechanical fault, causing him to plummet to the ground from an unspecified height.
Zinne airlifted to the nearby city of Billings where he would pass away from his injuries two days later.
Zinne's death has since been confirmed by County Sheriff Josh McQuillan and Red Lodge Mountain spokesperson Troy Hawks.
Advert
Hawks went on to confirm that a mechanical fault had occurred around the time of the 37-year-old's fall but declined to comment further on the subject. He added that the resort is currently holding an investigation into the circumstances around his death, including weather conditions and the victim's actions in the moment leading up to the fall.
More than 100 other visitors riding on different chairs at the time of the accident were evacuated from the lift by ski patrollers.
Local outlets added that several other chairlifts had been temporarily closed on the day of Zinne's fall due to severe weather conditions, with winds of up to 50 mph (80.4 kph) being recorded in the area.
The chair, which had been built in 1983, will remain out of action until an engineer is able to fully assess it.
Meanwhile Zinne's family have since set up GoFundMe to raise money for his wife Meghan and their two-year-old son to help with the 'financial burdens that come with such an unexpected tragedy'.
Referring to the freight hauling company owner as a 'devoted husband' and 'caring father', the fundraiser added: "All funds raised will go directly to his wife and son to help with funeral costs and medical expenses."
Meghan has also thanked people for their support in an update on the page, writing: "The outpouring love and support that we’ve received is astonishing. Jeff was so loved. Please know I am seeing your comments and texts. I cannot respond to everyone but it is so appreciated.
"Thank you to all who have joined our meal train, donated to the GoFund me and have sent flowers."
Deaths on ski lifts are considered to be relatively rare, with Skimag reporting there were 14 fatalities caused by mechanical faults between 1973 and 2020 in America.
Meanwhile Europe's most recent ski lift accident occurred in Spain back in January, with a chair lift collapse earlier this year leaving two women in intensive care.
LADbible has approached Red Lodge Mountain Ski Resort for comment.
Brenna Cooper