RED LODGE — Questions are swirling about the safety of the chairlifts on Red Lodge Mountain after a passenger fell from the Triple Chair on Monday.
According to officials at the ski area, the person was thrown from the chair just before noon due to high winds and flown by emergency helicopter to a Billings hospital.
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On Tuesday, Interim General Manager Spencer Weimer said they are actively investigating what happened.
"We ended up in an unseated passenger situation," Weimer said. "We’re still in an investigation of the full situation, so that's really all I can say."
Billings skier Robert Tambo was on one of the chairs with his son when the lift shut down.
"I've honestly never seen it that windy before," Tambo said Tuesday. "I'm not too fond of heights and then shaking around was not a fun experience."
Tambo and many others were stuck on the lift for more than 30 minutes until ski patrol helped each visitor repel from their chair one by one.
"Once I heard that someone fell off, or then I heard the chair had possibly derailed, then I was thinking, okay, what about the rest of the lift?" Tambo said. "Like what if our chair isn't safe?"
Tambo said it was a frightening situation that he never could have imagined.
“The most terrifying aspect of it was having a child sitting next to me, worrying about if he’s okay," Tambo said. "I’m trying to keep my cool and make sure he’s okay."
The Triple Chair remained closed all day Tuesday, but it isn't the only lift the mountain is missing. The Willow Creek lift has been out of operation for two weeks due to a previous incident involving a chair that nearly detached from the system. Fortunately, no skiers were on the lift at that time.
Weimer said the mountain is currently checking every chair on Willow Creek to make sure they are safe. So far, all 80 they've inspected haven't showed any problems.
"If we do find a mechanical situation that does require us to stop the chair, we're going to go through the proper procedures," Weimer said.
Weimer emphasized the importance of safety procedures, which he said are reviewed daily. The mountain's lifts are inspected by a third party annually.
“Every ski area evaluates their operation procedures every single day,” Weimer said.
For Tambo, it's something he never wants to relive.
“Yeah, that was a memorable experience, and not one I want to go through again," Tambo said.
Related:
Red Lodge Mountain Ski Resort facing lawsuit after chairlift detaches
Skier injured on Red Lodge Mountain chair lift, flown to Billings hospital
