After reaching the mountain summit, workers at a ski resort discovered the lifeless body of a 53-year-old tourist aboard a gondola. The incident occurred on January 6 at the Val Cenis ski resort in Savoie, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. It is suspected that the man experienced a cardiac arrest while riding the mountain lift alone.
Efforts to revive the individual with a defibrillator by two ski patrollers were unsuccessful, and emergency services, together with local authorities, responded promptly. Tragically, the man was declared deceased at the scene. On the same day, another fatal occurrence unfolded at the Les Menuires resort in Savoie, where a Spanish skier was found unconscious near a rock in an unmarked skiing area.
In a separate incident on December 28, a tragic incident took place at the Asarigawa Onsen ski resort in Otaru, Japan. A five-year-old boy lost his life after his arm became entangled in a lift, causing a fatal fall and entrapment in the ski travelator’s machinery. Hinata Goto, the young victim, fell while stepping off the travelator, leading to his arm getting trapped. Despite his mother activating the emergency stop, rescue efforts to free the unconscious boy took 40 minutes. Tragically, he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident to determine if any negligence was involved in the installation or maintenance of the travelator. Reports suggest that the safety mechanism of the travelator at the Asarigawa Onsen Ski Resort had been operational earlier in the day. The travelator, installed approximately six years ago, is a 30m long, 60cm wide device without handrails, linking the resort’s car park to the ski slopes.
Commonly known as “magic carpet” lifts, travelator ski lifts are often found on beginner slopes. Visitors have mentioned experiencing difficulties while using the specific travelator where the tragic incident occurred, as reported by Japanese media.