A tragic incident unfolded at a ski resort in Savoie, France, where a 53-year-old tourist was discovered lifeless at the mountain peak by resort staff upon the gondola’s arrival. The individual is believed to have experienced a cardiac arrest while riding the mountain lift alone at Val Cenis ski resort in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
Despite efforts by ski patrollers and emergency services to revive the man with a defibrillator, he was declared deceased at the scene. Concurrently, another fatal occurrence transpired at Les Menuires resort in Savoie on the same day, where a Spanish skier was found unconscious near a rock in an unmarked skiing area.
In a separate tragic incident on December 28, a five-year-old boy lost his life at Asarigawa Onsen ski resort in Otaru, Japan, after his arm became entangled in a lift mechanism. The child tragically succumbed after falling and being trapped in the ski travelator machinery, as reported by Japanese media. Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident at the popular ski destination.
According to local reports, Hinata Goto was attempting to disembark the travelator when he fell, resulting in his right arm getting caught in the machinery. Although the travelator’s safety feature only activated when the boy’s mother pressed the emergency stop, rescue teams had to dismantle parts of the device for about 40 minutes to extricate the unconscious child. Despite their efforts, he was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Police are actively looking into the incident to ascertain if any lapses occurred in the installation or maintenance of the travelator. Staff at Asarigawa Onsen Ski Resort have indicated that the safety mechanism was operational earlier that day.
The travelator in question, which was installed approximately six years ago, spans 30 meters in length and 60 centimeters in width, serving as a link between the resort’s car park and ski slopes. Such travelator ski lifts, commonly referred to as “magic carpet” lifts, are typically found on beginner slopes. Reports from other visitors suggest instances of tripping on the specific travelator where the tragic incident occurred, as highlighted by Japanese media.