Friend films drunk man fall 130ft from ski lift and impale himself on piste marker in freak accident
GRENOBLE, FRANCE: A man who was reportedly "messing about" on a ski lift under the influence of alcohol fell to his death after crashing through a plastic window. The freak accident occurred on Saturday, April 1, as two men were descending the mountain at the Deux Alpes resort in France.
The individuals in question, aged 29 and 23, were "messing about in the lift when the 29-year-old smashed through the plexiglass screen and fell 40 meters (130 feet) to his death," local prosecutor Eric Vaillant said in a statement on Sunday, April 2. Local media reports stated the men were filming themselves when the victim rammed himself against the side of the gondola. The man, who reportedly weighed more than 220lb, fell onto a piste marker and was impaled to death.
ALSO READ
Anakeesta Theme Park tragedy: Woman PLUNGES 40ft to death from chairlift in ‘apparent suicide’
'Stupid accident'
“This is the first time that such an accident has happened in the resort,” Fabrice Boutet, director of Les Deux Alpes resort, told the BFM channel on Monday, April 3. "These are lifts built for 20 people. If there's movement caused by abrupt braking or something else, they are designed to resist impacts," he explained, adding, "This stupid accident was caused by him gaining momentum and throwing himself against the plexiglass." Boutet denied any responsibility for the accident as the ski lift is expected to be examined by the authorities.
"Alcoholic, they heckled in the gondola and the oldest crossed the plexiglass wall," the Grenoble prosecutor's office noted, specifying that "the scene had been filmed by his friend with his phone." According to information from local radio, the victim was 1.90 m tall, weighed more than 100 kg, and would have gained considerable momentum to throw himself against the opposite plexiglass which would then have exploded under his weight. The 29-year-old reportedly fell back on the track and impaled himself on a beacon. Emergency responders pronounced him dead on the spot. It's worth noting that Les Deux Alpes is the highest ski resort in France, topping out at a staggering 3,600 meters above sea level.
Multiple skiing incidents
The incident took place just a day before a Texas woman reportedly died after hitting a tree at Eldora Mountain Ski Resort in Boulder, Colorado on Sunday. According to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, the 58-year-old victim was skiing with friends and family when she fell on the Muleshoe ski run and continued to slide down until she eventually collided with a tree. BCSO said in its release that people who were at the scene performed CPR on the woman until rescue teams from the Eldora Ski Patrol, Nederland Fire Department, MedEvac Air Ambulance, and American Medical Response arrived and took over. The victim was rushed to the first aid room, where she was pronounced dead. An investigation by BCSO and the county coroner's office is underway at the time of publication.
A woman visiting from Texas died after hitting a tree at Eldora Mountain Ski Resort on Sunday, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said. https://t.co/bEdh0h32oe
— FOX31 Denver KDVR (@KDVR) April 3, 2023
In yet another tragedy on the French Alps, a 50-year-old British skier died after falling "several dozen meters" and suffering a heart attack while skiing off-piste in February. The tourist sustained critical injuries after "taking off" into the air at a "very high speed" and landing on a rocky slope. The incident took place in the Saulire sector in the resort of Meribel, northeast of Les Deux Alpes.
It's worth noting that the French National Mountain Safety Observation System (SNOSM) recorded a total of 12 deaths in the French mountains during the 2021-22 ski season. Meanwhile, at least 45,000 people were treated for injuries and emergency services attended around 50,000 incidents, the Daily Mail reported.