A tourist, aged 53, was discovered deceased by ski resort employees upon reaching a mountain summit aboard a gondola.
The individual’s body was found on January 6 by the gondola operator at Val Cenis ski resort in Savoie, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, southeastern France. It is suspected that he experienced a cardiac arrest while riding the mountain lift alone.
Despite efforts from two ski patrollers using a defibrillator and the prompt arrival of emergency services and local police, the man was declared dead on-site. Concurrently, at Les Menuires resort in Savoie, a Spanish skier was found unconscious against a rock in an unmarked skiing area, resulting in another fatality on the same day.
Tragically, 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. The child succumbed to injuries sustained after falling and becoming trapped in a ski travelator’s machinery, as reported by Japanese media. Authorities are currently investigating the incident at the popular ski destination.
Reports from local media indicate that Hinata Goto fell and trapped his right arm in the travelator’s machinery while attempting to disembark. Despite the safety mechanism, the machine only stopped when the boy’s mother activated the emergency stop.
Rescue operations took 40 minutes to free the unconscious boy by dismantling parts of the travelator. He was then transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Authorities are looking into the incident to determine if there was any negligence in the travelator’s installation or maintenance. Staff at Asarigawa Onsen Ski Resort mentioned that the safety mechanism had been operational earlier in the day.
The 30m long and 60cm wide travelator was installed approximately six years ago, linking the resort’s car park to the ski slopes. This type of ski lift, often known as a “magic carpet” lift, is commonly found on beginner slopes. Visitors have reported stumbling at the specific travelator location where the tragic incident occurred, according to Japanese media.
