An 8-year old's terrifying fall from ski lift reignites an old debate

"Those bars are designed to hold skiers and snowboarders in place while the lifts transport them up the mountain. The chairs are often dozens of feet off the ground, so the experience of riding without the bar down can feel like flying through the air on a park bench - with no seat belt."

"Lowering the safety bar is mandatory at many European ski resorts but for years has been optional in the U.S., leading to occasionally awkward interactions between freedom-loving devotees of self-determination, who chafe at every perceived incursion by the nanny state, and people who would prefer to err on the safe side."

"The girl's mother posted on social media that her daughter's injuries weren't serious and that she fell because she slipped getting on the lift and never had a chance to lower the safety bar."

An 8-year-old boy suffered a 30-foot fall from a ski lift at Sierra-at-Tahoe, requiring helicopter evacuation to Reno. While ski lift accidents are uncommon, they generate significant anxiety among inexperienced skiers and snowboarders. A similar incident occurred in January when a 12-year-old girl fell from a chairlift at Mammoth Mountain after failing to lower the safety bar. Safety bars are designed to secure riders during transport, yet their use remains optional at most U.S. resorts despite being mandatory at many European facilities. This distinction has sparked ongoing debate between those prioritizing individual freedom and those advocating for mandatory safety measures.

Read at Los Angeles Times