A tourist aged 53 was discovered deceased by ski resort staff as the gondola he was riding reached the peak of a mountain.
The individual’s body was found by the gondola operator on January 6 in the afternoon. It is suspected that he experienced a cardiac arrest after boarding the mountain lift alone at the Val Cenis ski resort in Savoie, located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France.
Efforts were made by two ski patrollers to revive the man using a defibrillator, and emergency services, along with local law enforcement, responded to the scene. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, the man was declared dead on site. Concurrently, another tragic incident occurred on the same day at the nearby Les Menuires resort in Savoie, where a Spanish skier was discovered unconscious near a rock in an unmarked skiing zone.
Tragically, on December 28, a five-year-old boy lost his life at the Asarigawa Onsen ski resort in Otaru, Japan, after his arm became entangled in a lift. Reports from Japanese media indicate that the child succumbed following a fall and entrapment in the ski travelator machinery. Authorities are currently investigating this incident at the popular ski destination.
Local sources reveal that Hinata Goto was attempting to step off the travelator when the accident occurred, causing his right arm to become trapped in the machinery. Despite the safety features of the travelator, the machine only stopped when the boy’s mother activated the emergency stop.
Rescue personnel spent 40 minutes disassembling parts of the travelator to extricate the unconscious boy. He was then transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Authorities are currently looking into the incident to determine if there were any lapses in the installation or maintenance of the travelator. Statements from Asarigawa Onsen Ski Resort staff suggest that the safety mechanism was operational earlier in the day.
The travelator, measuring 30m (98 ft) in length and 60cm (24 in) in width, was installed approximately six years ago. This device, lacking handrails, connects the resort’s parking area to the ski slopes.
Commonly known as “magic carpet” lifts, travelator ski lifts are typically found on beginner slopes. Visitors have reported instances of stumbling on the specific travelator where the tragic incident occurred, as per Japanese media accounts.
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