# 8 year old boy slips off ski lift and is saved by a group of teens. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 3, 2019, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504 "2019-03-03T22:01:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2019, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/1 "2019-03-03T22:01:48Z")
I’m very impressed that these young boys calmly assessed the situation and quickly formulated a rescue plan. These boys did **everything right**. They even padded the netting with foam. What a impressive group of resourceful kids. I’m not sure that I could have reacted as quickly. There was so little time before the child’s father grip would slip. The 2nd video has footage of the rescue. > **[Group of teens save 8-year-old boy hanging from ski lift](https://www.foxnews.com/sports/group-of-teens-save-8-year-old-boy-left-hanging-on-ski-lift)** > > A group of teenagers came to the rescue of an 8 year old boy who nearly fell from a chairlift onto the hard snow at a Vancouver ski resort > [@](#): > > Macdonald said his friends, Gabriel Neilson, and 12-year-old Josh Ravensbergen, had just finished skiing down the mountain when they began to offer some help along with a man and a woman in the area. > Neilson attempted to calm down the boy, while Ravensbergen told CNN he stripped off some padding from a pole and inserted it on the netting to give it some more support. > > CNN reported that once the makeshift net was completed, Neilson calmly advised the boy to remove his skis. He then told the father to release his grip holding his young child. > > The father released his grip and the boy dropped safely into the padding. The group of roughly 10 people who held up the net cheered loudly after saving the boy. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2019, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/2 "2019-03-03T22:06:40Z")
Jeez, sorry for the tangent, but a “video” like the one with story is so dumb. The “video” is a series of stock still photos of a ski resort, with the same story as the text flashing up. Anyway, nice story. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2019, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/3 "2019-03-03T22:08:45Z")
Yeah, it’s the 2nd video that shows the rescue. Says Sky News on the freeze frame. I assume a bystander filmed it with a phone. I’d be so worried the kid would miss the net. It can be tricky looking up and judging how he’ll fall. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2019, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/4 "2019-03-03T22:10:46Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > The 2nd video has footage of the rescue. > [Group of teens save 8-year-old boy hanging from ski lift | Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/sports/group-of-teens-save-8-year-old-boy-left-hanging-on-ski-lift) That is not video of the rescue. It’s just pretty pictures of snow-capped mountains. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2019, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/5 "2019-03-03T22:16:17Z")
Here’s a better link with more complete video. The rescue is intercut with interviews. > **[A group of teens and good Samaritans rescued a boy dangling from a ski lift |...](https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/03/world/grouse-mountain-chairlift-rescue-trnd/index.html)** > > Rescuers sprang into action after seeing an 8-year-old boy hanging from a chairlift at Grouse Mountain in Vancouver. Sorry for any confusion. The other link & video worked fine on my phone. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2019, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/6 "2019-03-03T22:16:24Z")
Reading comprehension not good today? OP clearly states, scroll to the 2nd video! ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2019, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/7 "2019-03-03T23:15:31Z")
I’ve never been on a ski lift. Getting on seems intimidating. The wiki says the beginner slope lifts move slower. That would certainly help a novice skier. > **[How to Get on and off a Ski Lift (with Pictures) - wikiHow](https://www.wikihow.com/Get-on-and-off-a-Ski-Lift)** > > Getting on a ski lift as a beginner can be a frightening thing with a giant chair zooming by scooping people up. But with a little practice, skills and these easy steps you will be able to get on and off a ski lift like a pro. Although... Are they pretty safe if you sit still and don’t fidget? I guess there’s height requirements to use one? Just wondering what went wrong in this case. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2019, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/8 "2019-03-03T23:24:26Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Reading comprehension not good today? > > OP clearly states, scroll to the 2nd video! Yes, not OP’s fault, but the news site did put a dumb non-video video front and center. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2019, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/9 "2019-03-03T23:31:56Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’ve never been on a ski lift. Getting on seems intimidating. The wiki says the beginner slope lifts move slower. That would certainly help a novice skier. > [How to Get on and off a Ski Lift (with Pictures) - wikiHow](https://m.wikihow.com/Get-on-and-off-a-Ski-Lift) > > Are they pretty safe if you sit still and don’t fidget? > > I guess there’s height requirements to use one? > > Just wondering what went wrong in this case. There is no seatbelt or lap bar, just a chair to sit in. If you jump around or move too much, then you risk falling out. Sometimes they get swinging somewhat violently. Also, when they stop the lift, that can throw riders forward. If he was sitting in an unsecured fashion, then if the lift stopped because someone was having trouble getting on or off, then that may have caused him to fall out. From the video, he wasn’t that high up, the teens helped a bit, I’m sure, but he probably would have survived if he had just fallen without too much injury. I’ve been on lifts that were much higher off the ground than that, where falling would mean severe injury or death, even with a makeshift net like that. Getting rid of the skis was probably the most important part. Leaving them on would mean almost certainly breaking legs as they hit and twist around, as well as another object upon which to hurt yourself. Still, good job on them, even if their effect was small, the fact that they even put in the effort to assist another person in need is a sign that maybe humanity has some redeeming qualities to it after all. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2019, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/10 "2019-03-03T23:38:06Z")
Interesting. I’m sure practice makes a big difference in using a lift. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2019, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/11 "2019-03-03T23:43:08Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Interesting. I’m sure practice makes a big difference in using a lift. > > Thanks I haven’t been skiing in over 20 years, but I used to go quite a bit as a teen. The first couple times I tried to get onto the lift, they had to stop it for me, as it knocked me over and off the path. It does require a bit of timing to get into position to have the seat come under you. Hmmm, I miss skiing, but with the shape I’m in these days, I may as well just fall off the lift for all the injury trying to get down the mountain will probably do. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/12 "2019-03-04T00:01:20Z")
I grew up on Cape Cod, Mass. Loved sledding. I probably would have progressed to ice skating and skiing as I got older. Unfortunately we moved to the deep South when I was almost 10. That ended my winter sports. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/13 "2019-03-04T00:39:54Z")
Gettin ON a ski lift is pretty easy. Getting OFF, on the other hand… Let’s just say, I’ve had may share of falls over the years. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/14 "2019-03-04T00:58:21Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > There is no seatbelt or lap bar, just a chair to sit in. > > If you jump around or move too much, then you risk falling out. Sometimes they get swinging somewhat violently. In my experience, it is only very old lifts that don’t have a bar to pull down. Most people choose not to pull it down, but they could. They are mostly pretty safe. A good fraction of modern lifts actually remove the chair from the cable as you get on (so it is moving slower at that point and easier to mount correctly). The ones that don’t tend to feel really fast when you get on, and ridiculously slow for the rest of the ride. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/15 "2019-03-04T01:00:43Z")
I’m impressed, not just that they tried to help, but that they did so calmly and with a plan (including splitting up who does what). That’s a lot harder to do in a crisis than most folks think. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/16 "2019-03-04T01:07:45Z")
Unanswered questions: - why is the lift not moving? - how did he fall out? - why didn’t his father pull him back in the chair? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/17 "2019-03-04T01:50:41Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > In my experience, it is only very old lifts that don’t have a bar to pull down. Most people choose not to pull it down, but they could. My experience must have been with older lifts. As I said, I haven’t been skiing in over 20 years. > [@](#): > > They are mostly pretty safe. A good fraction of modern lifts actually remove the chair from the cable as you get on (so it is moving slower at that point and easier to mount correctly). The ones that don’t tend to feel really fast when you get on, and ridiculously slow for the rest of the ride. Now, that would be a pretty nice feature. > [@K364](#): > > Unanswered questions: Speculative answers: > [@](#): > > - why is the lift not moving? They would have stopped it when there was a problem. > [@](#): > > - how did he fall out? Leaning forward too far, looking at something, or just being a young kid that can’t sit still. Also, if the lift were stopped while he was leaning forward, that lurch may have thrown him out. > [@](#): > > - why didn’t his father pull him back in the chair? I suppose he probably tried, but was unable to. Looks like a bad angle he had him at. does seem as though he should be liftable, but maybe dad is not all that strong. ---
**Author:** ![MollyCatherine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc79bd/32.png) [@MollyCatherine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MollyCatherine)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/18 "2019-03-04T02:32:48Z")
[The video I just watched](https://globalnews.ca/video/5014141/extended-teens-rescue-by-from-grouse-mountain-chairlift) is over 4 minutes long, which makes me wonder about the lack of response from the mountain. The person in blue who places the pad on the net looks like he could be a ski instructor (apparent embroidery on the coat), but shouldn’t ski patrol have been rushing to the scene? I think I saw a liftie on a walkie talkie, but he didn’t leave his position. Even as the child is down and safe, I can’t see anyone who looks official approaching. It’s a detachable quad (slower when loading and unloading). There is a safety bar, although it lacks foot supports. The bar is down. There’s a little sister seated between dad and boy. Trying to pull the boy up would have introduced a high risk of the girl slipping. Dad is anchoring her with his body. I suspect the boy is reasonably experienced at riding a lift. He’s probably been skiing at least since he was the younger child’s age, and she would have started at a learning area before graduating to this lift. Plus, he was able to get his bindings released. I’m sure people were shouting instructions, but if he didn’t already have a decent idea of what to do he likely wouldn’t have been successful in the moment, when he was dangling and panicked. I strongly doubt this was a loading issue. The lift attendant would have stopped the chair before it reached the first pole (it stopped at pole two). Also, the bar was down, which usually hasn’t happened yet when someone falls getting on. And if there’s an issue right away, you just fall to the ground. If it were an immediate problem, letting go so the child dropped a couple feet would have been much safer than trying to hold on. I think he had to have been on the chair to start. My guess is that the boy was sitting with his butt toward the front edge (easy to do when your legs aren’t long enough to bend at the knee while sitting all the way back, and with no foot rest for support) and then started kicking his skis together or got into a bit of a shoving skirmish with his sister. ---
**Author:** ![MollyCatherine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc79bd/32.png) [@MollyCatherine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MollyCatherine)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/19 "2019-03-04T02:45:59Z")
^Replying to myself since I can’t edit. Ski patrol does approach right at the end of the video. In another video, a witness says that the boy screamed and the dad yelled for the attendant to stop the lift, but he didn’t hear because of loud music. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504/20 "2019-03-04T03:57:15Z")
The full video is helpful. I’m even more impressed that the father held on that long and kept his daughter safe too. I wonder if that kid will ever get on another ski lift? 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-year-old-boy-slips-off-ski-lift-and-is-saved-by-a-group-of-teens/830504.md?page=2)