A snowboarder who fell off Keystone Resort’s Ruby Express lift was airlifted to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, Colorado on Wednesday, December 11. According to Colorado Public Radio, the 32-year-old snowboarder fell 47 feet onto the Diamondback trail.
Denverite editor Andrew Kenney was on the lift shortly after the snowboarder fell. He did not witness the incident, but watched as ski patrollers rushed to assist the man. The chairlift apparently continued to run for some time after the incident, and the trail below was covered in a thin layer of snow and rocks.
The Passenger Tramway Safety Board reported that the man fell 47 feet after momentarily hanging on to the armrest, coming off the seat as he was tightening his bindings. The safety bar was up at the time. The board has decided that the incident does not warrant further investigation.
The chairlift did come to a stop as ski patrollers rushed to assist the individual, though several guests watched the scene unfold from above. The lift was closed for a period after the incident. The snowboarder’s condition is still not known.