A 37-year-old individual tragically lost his life following a fall from a chairlift experiencing mechanical difficulties at a ski location in Montana, according to local officials and representatives from Red Lodge Mountain.
The incident took place as the man was riding solo in a three-person chairlift carrying skiers to the mountain’s peak. He fell from an unreported height on Monday, just before noon, at the ski area located southeast of Billings in the Beartooth Mountains.
The victim, identified as Jeffrey Zinne from Billings, was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries early Wednesday, according to Carbon County Sheriff Josh McQuillan and Rich Hoffman of the Yellowstone County Coroner’s Office.
Post-incident, the lift involved, termed the Triple Chair, was halted immediately, disclosed Red Lodge Mountain spokesperson Troy Hawks. Over 100 individuals using the chairlift at the time were safely evacuated by ski patrollers using ropes.
Hawks mentioned that there was a mechanical issue with the lift during Zinne’s fall; however, he refrained from elaborating further, revealing that inquiries into the incident’s circumstances are ongoing. He noted that weather conditions and the victim’s actions are also under scrutiny.
On the morning of the incident, several chairlifts at Red Lodge Mountain were not functioning due to severe wind conditions. Wind speeds touched approximately 50 mph (80.4 km/h) around the timing of the accident, according to the National Weather Service.
Hawks emphasized that the nearly one-mile (1.6 kilometers), 1983-constructed Triple Chairlift was running within safety margins. The lift is set to remain out of operation until a complete assessment by an engineer has been conducted.
Red Lodge Mountain ensures daily chairlift inspections, confirmed Hawks. Additionally, a comprehensive inspection is carried out annually, as necessitated by their insurance provider and the U.S. Forest Service, which leases the land used by the ski area.
Zinne, an avid snowboarder, reportedly enjoyed the slopes prior to the unfortunate accident. He was married, had a two-year-old son, and owned the Montana Air Cartage freight business, as stated in a GoFundMe page launched to support his family.
His colleague, Jessice Sande, a manager at Montana Air Cartage, fondly remembered Zinne, not just as a boss but as a friend and mentor, recounting his memorable and infectious laughter.
The occurrence of deadly lift mishaps at ski resorts is a rare event, per the National Ski Areas Association. Since 1956, lift-related accidents have resulted in 35 fatalities, with 16 of those tied to mechanical faults according to the group’s data collection.
The preceding lethal incident occurred in 2020 at Vail Resort, Colorado, where a man perished after his clothing became caught in a section of the chairlift, restricting his ability to breathe.
