 Poster: A snowHead
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This afternoon I saw one of the scariest things I've seen on a ski slope.....a kid fall off a chairlift. It appears that the safety bar wasn't down (I'm guessing because the kid wasn't on properly). The lift travelled a fair distance with mum(?) holding on. One of the resort staff climbed a pylon to try and get into the chair to help but before he could get in the kid dropped. Fortunately it appears that she got away with only minor injuries, but it was terrifying to watch.
I know there was a thread about this a while ago, but how common is this sort of thing?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Elizabeth B, My next-door neighbour, a liftie in the Three Valleys for over 30 years, tells me he has never seen or heard of a child falling off a chairlift (excluding getting on and off of course)
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Elizabeth B, there was of course a snowHeads son but that was a few years ago now.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Thu 4-04-13 19:41; edited 1 time in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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RachelQ, I think it was pre-SnowHeads, and TBH perhaps it isn't meant to be common knowledge. Perhaps I should edit it out.
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Elizabeth B, I know how you feel, saw this happen a few years ago in Avoriaz just out of the lift station. People hanging onto kid, lifities rushing up with a ladder and the kid fell, was walked back to lift station and next time round was being put back on lift, no harm done but very scary to watch.
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I saw this happen in Les Gets. Woman on my left, a very competent skier, had a small stroppy child put on next to her on the end of the seat. Child was wriggling, and dropped out under the bar. woman held on to her, lifties stopped the list and two of them got her down - her skies were at full stretch of their arms. Absolutely no proper harm done, but was v nerve wracking. She was just a little thing, not very heavy.
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I also saw a child get kind of swept off the platform and drop into the netting thing below - in Avoriaz - again, no harm done, ten year old, being a bit careless.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| pam w wrote: |
| I saw this happen in Les Gets. Woman on my left, a very competent skier, had a small stroppy child put on next to her on the end of the seat. Child was wriggling, and dropped out under the bar. woman held on to her, lifties stopped the list and two of them got her down - her skies were at full stretch of their arms. Absolutely no proper harm done, but was v nerve wracking. She was just a little thing, not very heavy. |
Surely this is absolutely the fault of the ski school? - if they can't discipline kids to sit down, sit back, sit still and not dick around they shouldn't be taking them on chairlifts full stop.
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| Hells Bells wrote: |
| RachelQ, I think it was pre-SnowHeads, and TBH perhaps it isn't meant to be common knowledge. Perhaps I should edit it out. |
I remember reading a thread about it on here somewhere.....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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fatbob, have you ever tried to discipline high spirited kids? Or cats ?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Little kids don't have foresight or understand the concept of danger... disciplining someone else's kid you only see for an hour aint easy. And you'll not often hear me defending that since I am insistent on children being very disciplined. But it's true, it's not easy.
My mother saw a little'un fall off a chairlift shortly after 'take off' in Italy last week. Wasn't hurt thankfully, didn't fall too far.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
I saw this happen in Les Gets
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I saw this happen in Les Gets also, to a fully grown adult, on the same chair I was on.
Was dumping with snow all day, and the seats on the Chavannes chair don't get flipped up at the top for the return journey. So the bottom station lifty makes a half hearted attempt at brushing the snow off the chair with a broom as it enters the bottom station. The guy I was skiing with turned round a bit and sat on one cheek to scrape out the snow, just as the chair re-attached to the cable and started off up. He went splat, 10ft or so drop straight in to the huge mound of snow where the lifty shovels snow. Another few seconds later, and that would be a 20ft drop straight on to well used piste.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I had a small ESF 'escapee' a couple of years ago. Kid was bouncing around the seat chattering away (in French at 1000 miles an hour) to her two friends. Legs were too short to reach the footbar. She slid down to get her skis on the bar. The she slid down a bit more. The chattering continued and I was thinking 'Is she OK?'. The chattering got louder and higher pitched, I was trying to decide if she was falling off or messing around. I didn't want to grab her and get arrested for molesting a strange child. One ski came off the bar and she screamed. I grabbed the closest bit of her that I could get to (her hair....ouch.. sorry kid) got a hold of her arm and dragged her back into the seat. Got off the lift and waited for her instructor as she was crying, pointing at me and chattering at something approach the speed of light. Instructor came over, spoke to the kid, laughed and told me she said 'The scary man saved my life.' Gee,,,, thanks kid 
Now I try to look incompetent approaching the lift when there is a ski school in range.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A couple of years ago my daughter age 7 then, was in a four seater with instructor ( in Norway). She fell off right at the end when the bar was pushed up and she caught a ski on the bar and was dragged of. Lucky that it was a very short fall, on to her back, the instructor jumped down as the lift stopped and scooped her up. We were about 2 chairs behind, sick with fear. Fortunately no harm done, I think I was more frightened than her! She is visually impaired and still loves skiing.
Helmet on thank goodness, no idea if it helped but I was glad she had one on.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Was once on a lift in soldeau Andorra just about to get on when the dreaded ski school kid was put on the chair next to me, no one even asked if I could watch over him. Almost as soon as the chairlift left the base station I noticed the kid quickly slipping under the bar. I quickly tried to grab the kid and only managed to get his hood. Luckily the liftie quickly spotted this and stopped the lift but not before the lift was about 10 ft off the ground. The dangling (by his hood) kid was suspended in mid air while the liftie and instructor run to under the chair and then beckoned me to let go of the kid who they duly caught!
The kid was ok and then the lift started. I never got thanked or saw the kid again.
I was so glad it happened at the bottom and not any higher up as dread to think what could of happened.
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Like Thorneyhill I try to avoid small children being placed on a chairlift with me, I have seen too many incidents and had enough dealing with my own children. With them at least I could shout at them to sit still if necessary and/or tell them off. Even so I got caught on a chair going round the corner after having to lift my tangled up little one free, he wasn`t doing anything bad he simply slipped trying to get ready to get off the chair. Its not easy for small children on many chairs.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Looking at some of the German reports it may be that I have the only photo of the event. Seems a bit wrong to post it though.
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| fatbob wrote: |
| Surely this is absolutely the fault of the ski school? - if they can't discipline kids to sit down, sit back, sit still and not dick around they shouldn't be taking them on chairlifts full stop. |
I laughed! Well behaved 4 year olds are a relative thing! Can be very well behaved or have a complete strop (usually better behaved for ski school than parents. 
Was thinking T bars would be more difficult than chairs for my own lil one - now not so sure reading this!
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As a photographer I'd not "post it", I'd contact the appropriate news room and ask them if they're interested. There's no compulsion for the squeamish to look at any images, although I suspect that those who profess offence are probably most interested.
Chairlifts... Not sure what the statistics are, but I'd guess that more kids get killed from riding into trees or off cliffs than they do on the lifts. Of course there's going to be no comparison at all with road traffic incidents, but those are so commonplace as not to warrant any reports unless there are especially juicy features.
I'm slightly surprised that at least some kids don't see the danger there. As a climber/ pilot I don't feel the exposure but I'm still hugely aware of the danger. Maybe it's that they're not used to "adult" systems not being inherently safe, although that sounds unlikely as they're familiar with roads, hot water, dogs, other things that can hurt you. Hmm.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I had a lovely 4-year-old put on an ancient rickety 2-pack chairlift with me in Courmayeur. She was very talkative and wriggly. My Italian only really extended to telling her where I came from and where I liked to ski. I wish I had known how to tell her to sit still. I admit I was rather petrified and I held on to her as tightly as I could.
Sharing a T-bar with a 6-year-old was interesting too. Luckily the lad in question is son of flangesax and he knew precisely what he was doing, it was me who was in constant danger of falling off!
A few lifts now have the child safety bars, but they are less than comfy for the more ample amongst us.
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Most chairs are not easy for little tots of 4-6. I tend to shove them back whilst boarding and sometimes keep a hand on them (not easy if you're a guy), but only the French ones usually. Helps my blood pressure; especially if they are slouching and look like they could shoot off the edge any minute 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I don't mind looking after little ones on the chairlift, but all bets are off once my skis touch the off ramp 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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philwig, I wouldn't have a clue where to start offering a photo in uk let alone Austria
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
at least some kids don't see the danger there.
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some kids do. I rode up a long chair often used by beginner ski school groups with a little lad about 9 who was absolutely petrified. kept saying it was too high for him, and going too fast, and he couldn't do it. I thought it wise not to say too much in case my funny French added to his anxiety. I just kept assuring him that it would be OK, and that the lift went very slow at the end. I helped up, and off, and the look of gratitude and relief on his face was touching!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I do think it would be nice if the lifty or Instructor checked with passing adults that it's OK to sit a small child next to them...I mean, if they did fall and, perish the thought, hurt themselves or worse, whose fault would it be deemed to be? The adult next to them who didn't catch them in time, the child, the parent, the ski school, the lift company? It's also difficult if the child and the adult do not share a language. Could you be sued?
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
It's also difficult if the child and the adult do not share a language.
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I don't find kids mind about that. And if it's a problem, it's largely a British problem because so few Brits make the effort to speak French, German, Italian or whatever most of the kids are speaking. You can just say "bonjour" (or whatever) give a reassuring smile and then shut up. It's really not a big problem.
I find that instructors generally do "ask" with a kind of lift of the eyebrow if it's OK to put a child on. If you feel too shaky, the thing is to avoid the spot next to the kids ski school line. Or just say "I'm a beginner, sorry", politely but firmly in the relevant language.
Anyone who ever wants their kids, or grandchildren, or friends children, to go skiing with an instructor ought to be willing to help, I reckon. I've had two grandchildren, and two friends' kids, skiing in a group of 4 with an instructor this week. I was waiting for them the first time they rode up the 2-man nursery chair at the end of their lesson. The instructor had to send the more confident 3 up with "strangers", who were all fine with it. If she had to stand at the bottom, on a very sparse day, with hardly any skiers around, quizzing potential companions as to their linguistic skills and concerns about who would get sued, it would have taken all day!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I find the best way to avoid unwanted sprog liability issues is to trip em up at the starting gate. Bit of a challenge if you get swarmed by a pack on a sixer though in which case it pays to accidentally take a dive yourself.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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i find getting the hip flask out in the queue nd taking a really good hit stops all but the most hardy sharing a lift. A bit like a colleague of mine always had a can of special brew which he put on the table on his commute home on the train. He swears he never had anyone sitting next to him.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Patch wrote: |
| Elizabeth B, My next-door neighbour, a liftie in the Three Valleys for over 30 years, tells me he has never seen or heard of a child falling off a chairlift (excluding getting on and off of course) |
I've seen two in about 200 or so days sliding...
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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bertie bassett, I'd say that's a lot! Do you think you are a jinx?
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Like others I have been concerned when joined by toddlers on chairs & not sure of the responsibilities implied !! Most kids seem terrified and willing talk if brave enough.
In val Thorens, at the first week of easter, going up the Portet lift (behind fireball xl5) a boy skied thro a gap between us and thro the open gate but as a result ended up behind a boy, who was already at the chair pick up point - with the chair now rotating behind him, it was too late, he got collected but the innocent boy infront, ending up on his lap, naturally had no option but to drop before getting too high. The attendant helped the fallen boy but was not bothered by the incodent. When we reached the top, there were no attendants there but the boy was, luckily my French is enough to chide him, about safety not just on piste but also on the chairs...obviously he was not bothered & promptly skied off.
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I also wonder what an acceptable reaction time is to stop the lift? The incident I witnessed appeared that the girl never gt on the lift properly, and certainly the time lag from the mothers scream to me seeing the incident implied that she was never properly seated.
Should the lift then be stopped before it leaves the station?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Elizabeth B, All the lifts in Killington have a bar just after you get on. Anything below foot level stops the lift. PITA if you tip your skis down, but not a bad idea for the occasional 'mount malfunction'
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I've lost count of the number of times I've had my 'un-gloved for grip' hand gently gripping a squirming snot-miner on a chair . . . Mind there have been occasions where I would have given a good shove to a pubescent t**t if he'd been on his own and no witnesses 
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FAQ
A bit different from just reading about it. Terrible for the mum too. 
The smallest kids in ski school are only 4. We often get folks on here wanting their kids in a "proper ski school" at 3! Anyone who knows 3 year olds knows that even well disciplined, generally good kids, will have the occasional tantrum especially when their parents have dumped them with some complete stranger in a cold and uncomfortable environment and boogered off to enjoy their day.
). I was a bit bothered about having responsibility when I was a beginner, who didn't feel at ease getting off chairlifts myself, but in a way it helped having a distraction and had to MTFU 
