Death of 7-year-old boy who fell off Tahoe ski lift probed

latimes ^ | December 22, 2011 | 4:39 pm

[BenLurkin]

The death of a 7-year-old boy who fell 52 feet from a chair lift at a Lake Tahoe ski resort is under investigation.

John Henderson, a second-grader and a seasoned skier, was riding with fellow members of a local ski team Sunday when he fell off the Mount Lincoln Express chair lift at Sugar Bowl, a popular ski resort near Squaw Valley...

[Eye of Unk]

Sugar Bowl is up at the north part of the Sierra ski resorts, and often gets the nickname of “Sierra Cement” about how the snow gets turned into ice a lot, not like Heavenly or my favorite Sierra Ski Ranch, they are on the west side of Lake Tahoe, well Heavenly is at the very south part and straddles across the stateline.

The south and western resorts get more snow.

[Not A Snowbird]

I learned to ski at Sierra Ski Ranch. I have fond memories of the place! (Especially that one black diamond run that I accidently went down... on my butt.)

[tioga]

May he RIP.

[WellyP]

A 7 year old is small. Their feet don't reach the foot rest and can easily slip between the bar and the seat. Logic says no small child should be trying to move a safety bar. Trying to pull the bar down or lift it up can roll them out of a chair. Was he skiing with a friend? Was he with he skiing with his coach? Where was the parent? Where was the coach?

As a fully certified skiing professional, a coach and teacher who has worked at just about every job in the ski industry I've seen many close calls on and around lifts.
On many issues I'm to the right of Attila The Hun but on this issue I complete agree that company policy should not allow small children on chair lift of any type without an adult. T-bars and Pomas are fine but not chairs.

We have a company policy that makes you personally liable if you break the rules and let a small child ride a chair lift without an adult. LOGICAL!

[WellyP]

As far as I know all high speed quad lifts have safety bars but not all have foot rests.

[Eye of Unk]

You know I was in my early 30’s when I was working at a maintenance shop at the upper level of Heavenly, I was a sno-cat mechanic.
Working for Heavenly gave me all the free skiing I wanted, but Heavenly has to make its own snow from time to time and around 1990 it was one of those snow-drought years. man made snow shot from water cannons all along the tracks isn’t the same. Not like good prime “corn” snow my favorite.

At Sierra Ski Ranch I would head to the very top and just cruise downhill for the about 6 miles of moderate levels, and I would do it all day long.

[EDINVA]

Who’s talking about regulation? The owners of these lifts can have their own policy that under X age and under X height cannot ride the lifts alone. You see it at amusement parks all the time.

[Hot Tabasco]

As far as I know all high speed quad lifts have safety bars but not all have foot rests.

I believe you're right.....as a side note, the chair in the picture with the article has no safety bar.

The two and three seaters generally don't because those chairs are primarily connector chairs at the large resorts.

Even tho I've skied all my life, I have a fear of heights. I've been on quads that I swear were 3 miles up in the air and even with the safety bar down, I had my arm wrapped tightly around the outside arm bar........LOL!

[Hot Tabasco]

I was working at a maintenance shop at the upper level of Heavenly

In my experience, Heavenly Valley is one of the nicest resorts I have ever had the pleasure of skiing. Slopes groomed to perfection allowed for lots of high speed crusing.......

[WellyP]

The chair shown is an old fixed grip triple. I think it's made by Poma, could be an old Riblet but is isn't the HSDQ on which the accident happened. Tram safety boards everywhere should dictate that all chair lifts have safety bars. Height - weight rules work.

[Dogbert41]

I hear what you all are saying. I guess I’m becoming over protective now that my joy is three going on four. Prayers for his parents and family for sure.