By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
NEWBURY, N.H. — A skier riding on a chairlift at Attitash Mountain Resort was recently hospitalized after the chair detached and fell about 20 feet, and officials at Mount Sunapee are letting the public that they are well prepared and taking safety measures seriously.
Mount Sunapee and Attitash are under the same ownership through Vail Resorts, and in the wake of the accident, Senior Communications Manager of the Northeast Courtney DiFiore said they rigorously check the lifts each day.
“We do daily lift inspections ahead of operations and the New Hampshire Passenger Tramway Safety Board inspects our lifts annually,” DiFiore said. “We have a seasoned team at Mount Sunapee that takes a lot of pride in their work and aim to provide a great guest experience.”
The Department of Safety, the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Passenger Tramway Safety Board are undergoing a joint investigation after the chairlift incident at Attitash Mountain Resort.
According to information provided by the Department of Safety, at 12:15 p.m. on Feb. 2, first responders responded to a report of a chair detaching from the Flying Bear chairlift and falling to the ground.
“Tramway inspectors with the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office responded and determined that an adult male was in a chair when it dislodged from the Flying Bear lift and fell approximately 20 feet,” officials said in a release. “According to witnesses, the man was conscious and walking after the fall. The man was assisted by Ski Patrol and transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.”
A preliminary investigation found that there was a mechanical failure that caused one of the chairs to dislodge from the cable. The lift manufacturer was contacted, visited the scene, and is involved in the investigation.
The other passengers on the lift were unloaded and the lift was closed until further notice. The Department of Safety says that the investigation is ongoing. Photographs taken by people riding the chairlift show a chair on the ground, and the two chairs in front of the one that fell were occupied by skiers. Another photograph looked down the mountain, and each chair had skiers on board, and there was a visible lift line.
“Representatives of the lift manufacturer have also been present on scene and are assisting with and fully cooperating in the ongoing investigation,” officials stated in a release on Monday. “Additionally, investigators learned the adult male who was injured in the incident has been released from the hospital. As part of the ongoing investigation, tramway inspectors will be reviewing records of past inspections of the lift, including the most recent state inspection conducted in Nov. 2024. New Hampshire law requires mechanical lifts to be registered and inspected yearly, with additional inspections randomly conducted during the year.”
Attitash General Manager Brandon Swartz confirmed that one guest was involved and transported to Memorial Hospital after being helped by the mountain’s Ski Patrol. He added that Attitash performs daily lift inspections ahead of operations, and that the New Hampshire Passenger Tramway Safety Board inspects their lifts annually.
“The safety of our guests is our top priority, and we are investigating the incident,” Swartz said.
At Mount Sunapee, DiFiore said that they engage with their guests daily and have received positive feedback throughout the season, as they have had great conditions, a stacked event calendar and plenty to do during their stay.
She ensured the public that Mount Sunapee is on top of things when it comes to safety and providing the best possible experience for their skiers and riders.
“We inspect all our lifts each morning and have no lift issues at this time.”
