Skier Dies After Fall From Lift Having Mechanical Issue

High winds also will be part of the investigation, Montana ski area says
Posted Mar 12, 2025 6:50 PM CDT
Skier Dies After Fall From Lift Having Mechanical Issue
People ride a chairlift as skiers and snowboarders pass below at Red Lodge Mountain in February 2023, near Red Lodge, Montana.   (Larry Mayer/The Billings Gazette via AP)

A 37-year-old skier died Wednesday of his injuries after falling from a Montana ski lift experiencing a mechanical problem on a windy day. The Yellowstone County coroner's office attributed Jeffrey Zinne's death to accidental blunt force injury, KTVQ reports. The Billings man had fallen just before noon Monday from the triple chair at Red Lodge Mountain and was taken by helicopter to a hospital in nearby Billings.

The National Weather Service said wind gusts of about 50mph were recorded in the area around the time of the accident, and some chairlifts at the ski area were not operating for that reason, per NBC Montana. A spokesman for Red Lodge said the lift was having a mechanical problem when Zinne, who was alone in the triple chair, fell from an unspecified height. The lift was stopped, and the more than 100 people on it were helped down by ski patrollers using ropes. The mechanical issue, the weather, and the skier's actions will all be part of the investigation, the spokesman said. (More ski accidents stories.)

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