Ski resort staffer dies after tree hits chairlift line, plunging him 50 feet to snow below
A Utah ski resort employee is dead after being ejected from a chairlift when a pine tree fell onto a lift cable, resort officials and police said.
The 29-year-old ski patroller died Monday after being knocked off the lift just before 11:25 a.m. at Park City Mountain, according to a press release from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.
The resort is in Park City, about 40 miles southeast of Salt Lake City.
Representatives of Park City Mountain and the sheriff's office said the employee fell as much as 50 feet from the Short Cut chairlift into a deep ravine.
According to the release, sheriff’s office Capt. Andrew Wright said the tree likely hit the line behind the chair the patroller was riding, causing it to oscillate and unseat him. The victim, Wright said, landed in deep snow.
The Park City ski patrol attempted to treat his injuries and evacuated 10 others who also were on the chairlift by 1:06 p.m., Sara Huey, senior manager of communications told the Aspen Times. Several other chairlifts in the area were closed to support the response.
Resort officials could not immediately be reached by USA TODAY on Wednesday and did not release the employee's name.
The Summit County Sheriff tweeted the office planned to release the name of the victim, a resident of Millcreek, on Wednesday.
The Short Cut chairlift will remain closed, officials said, pending an investigation.
“We are all deeply saddened by this tragic incident, and we will be providing support for our employees as we grieve this devastating loss," said Deirdra Walsh, the resort's vice president and chief operating officer.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Park City Mountain, Utah, ski staffer dies; ejected from chairlift
