A tourist, aged 53, was discovered deceased by ski resort staff upon the gondola’s arrival at the mountain peak. The individual’s body was found on January 6 after experiencing a cardiac arrest while riding the mountain lift at Val Cenis ski resort in Savoie, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, southeastern France. Despite resuscitation attempts by ski patrollers and emergency response teams, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Concurrently, another tragic incident occurred at Les Menuires resort in Savoie, where a Spanish skier was found unconscious near a rock in an unmarked skiing area.
In a separate incident on December 28, a five-year-old boy tragically lost his life at Asarigawa Onsen ski resort in Otaru, Japan, after his arm became entangled in a lift. The child fell and got trapped in the ski travelator’s machinery, leading to his demise. Emergency responders dismantled parts of the travelator to rescue the unconscious boy, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident to determine if there was any negligence in the installation or maintenance of the travelator. Staff at Asarigawa Onsen Ski Resort confirmed that the safety mechanism was functional earlier in the day when the incident occurred. The travelator, measuring 30m in length and 60cm in width, was installed approximately six years ago and serves to connect the resort’s car park 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 event unfolded.