SOMERSET COUNTY, Pa. — A 7-year-old girl was flown to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Friday after falling from a ski lift at Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Seven Springs’ communications manager Katie Buchan said.
The child fell approximately 30 feet onto an embankment and into the “Streets,” which is a terrain park, Buchan said. The fall occurred around 3:30 p.m. near the base of the Polar Bear lift.
Buchan said ski patrol members, who are trained on mountain rescue and first response medical care, reached the scene prior to the arrival of a helicopter to transport the girl.
Seven Springs officials said maintenance workers checked the lift and there were no mechanical issues.
The state Department of Labor and Industry was notified of the incident, and the resort returned to operating as normal.
The girl’s condition has yet to be released.
The National Ski Areas Association said most states do not track how many times someone falls from a chairlift. However, the association did compile some data from the state of Colorado, showing that 86 percent of falls happen because of the skier’s error. Only 2 percent of the incidents are blamed on operator or mechanical failure.
The association said someone is five times more likely to die on an elevator than a ski lift.