Boys Fall From Ski lift At Gunstock
 

From WMUR 9 News.
Video and story. http://www.wmur.com/news/nh-news/Boy...z/-/index.html


Terry
______________________________________

common occurance
 

I think everytime I have been skiing, anywhere, I have seen at least one person fall from a chairlift. I was at Gunstock last Friday when the opposite happened. A father got on the lift with his two kids and he fell off. He only fell a couple of feet and he was alright but it happens all the time. There's a trick to getting on (and off). You have to be aware of the chair coming around and know when its going to get to you so you can sit and then quickly wiggle back.

Happens every day
 

When someone is new on the chair or when people get tired and doesn't pay attention, I see this every day. I was on ski patrol and attended may chair accidents.

One thing a parent should do is not to try to hang on to the kids and the chair gains altitude. It is hard to hold on and you eventually let go. I have kids and grandkids and I usually push them away from the chair, not hold on to them.

I wasn't there to access the situation, but that is my take on the situation.

As far as Gunstock PR, it is a piece of work. I remember Bill saying the then new chair lift (Penny Pitou) was the best thing that ever happen to the area. I beg to differ. Three million dollars for a begining chair is a bit much.

Later, he boast that new and exciting things are going to put the area on the map! The zip line came and I don't find it exciting.

In the days Gunstock rocks. In the 60's it had one of the best expert trial in the East, Trigger, and one of the best racing trail, Fletcher Hale. Today it has nothing to boast about.

Gunstock lift fall
 

As a Boston resident I skied Gunstock a lot during the mid to late sixties.
The double chair to the summit on the left hand side at one point was so high,
with strong winds, it was white knuckles! From a PR perspective dad and the boys should at least get an all day all lifts.

I'll take the fall
 

If they get that (family of 3, full day passes, $150 +) I'll slide off every now and then and fall and roll on the ground

My fam skied the rock in the 60's too. I concur on the left side chair that spanned the headwall on RamRod. To this day, I am height challenged. As an 8 year old, riding that lift solo, at the middle of that span, the lift stopped, bounced down, then UUUP, unweighting my feet on the safety bar footrest, causing the spring-loaded safety gate to swing open. I wrapped my arms around the center post and rode out the "bounce motion". Scared the beans out of me.
I got both my kids on skiis at around 3 years old. I ALWAYS made sure they were aware of the dangers involved in riding the chair lifts. ALWAYS pay attention. Sit as far back on the seat as they could (NO balancing on their butts leaning over the safety bar), and I used the fact that I am afraid of heights, and the reason why, to drive the point home.
Spent a lot of time on the TryMe chair. I miss FletcherHale too, BH.
I feel bad for the dad, BUT, stuff happens. Poor Bill opened mouth and inserted foot.
I had a pass for 8 years at Gunstock, and am on my 45th pass at Loon.
I, too, have fallen out of the EastBasin chair at Loon..because I wasn't paying attention...;)

The father should consult with a competent personal injury attorney and get advice as to making claim against Gunstock for negligence.

I would think Gunstock could generate a law suit against the father for negligence, child endangerment, and failure to care and control their stead.
The ticket basically states it is "at your own risk".
I think Gunstock paying hospital/Dr expenses, and a days skiing would be a magnanimous gesture of GoodWill, and not in the fear of a lawsuit despite the "at your own risk" part. AND the risk of acknowledging "guilt" by doing so.
I believe you take responsibility for your kids well being, ESPECIALLY if they are supposed to be sitting right next to you.

Still, in buying a ticket to use the lifts there is there is the expectation that the lift attendants will be paying attention and will stop the lift promptly if passengers, even if through their own inability to get seated properly or carelessness, do not in fact get seated properly. The required presence of attendants creates that expectation. The responsibility for safety is shared.

No, everything is someone else's fault today. No one is responsible for themselves any more…...

Yup, common sense died long ago.

I think we need to ban chairlifts. Maybe the Pres can inact some ligislation...

Good grief.
 

Does every post have to devolve into snide political comments? Gets pretty tiresome, frankly.

Gunstock is state owned so if you live in NH you can sue your taxes may even go up. Just Sayin

Isn't Gunstocks owned by Belknap County? I thought Cannon was the only ski area owned by the state?

You are correct..GBG
 

Red Apple is incorrect, although his point was probably that it is government owned vs. privately owned.

Sue them?
 

This forum is going down hill fast!!! :confused:

But to add my .02 it is bone heads like those who want to sue at the drop of a hat that have cost the rest of us to pay more for the things we like to do.
Daa, once you sue the insurance rates go up and then so do the lift tickets then away goes the customers because they now cannot afford to pay the increased cost. All because some whinning, I hurt myself decided to sue.
Almost ALL outdoor activities offer some sort of danger level.
If you are not ready to handle and except that, then stay home and find something else to do and let the rest of us take our chances and have fun.

Cost of liability insurance
 

is the biggest reason why all the Mom and Pop ski hills folded. We are lucky to have ski resorts.

As long as law makers are lawyers they will pass laws that will fatten the wallets. No wonder it is easy to sue.

Acyually he's not totally correct.The state owns Cannon and Sunapee.Sunapee is leased out.Wow NHbouy,I thought I had a string going with almost 40 passes at Cannon.

Then there's the other side...
 

But then what do we do about the "bean counters" willing to let quality slide and people be harmed? They make my blood boil just as much.

Many snide political comments have been made over the years to make a valid point. Here's one example:

"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

There were probably some unhappy people back in that time, too, admonishing people like Patrick Henry. I'm not comparing anybody here with him. But we have recent history of absolute craziness that we all need to pay attention to, such as a Malden Mass elementary school this week banning students from bringing Valentine’s Day candy or cards over cultural equality issues and federal guidelines regulating candy, to federal gun control, and NYC Big Gulp controls. I personally think the suppression of individual liberty is more tiresome.

Accidents Happen
 

Quite Frankly I am disgusted reading this thread. I see so many comments about how this family should be compensated. Yet when I read the article, that didn't seem to be the intent. The family isn't holding any ill will to the ski area, and plans to return. So that can't be all that upset at the incident.

Unfortunately lawyers have turned us into an everything is someone else fault society. Nobody is responsible for there own actions. And if your hurt somebody needs to compensate you.

I look at this incident and say how could the outcome have been different:
What if the boy had just fallen down and not grab his brother?
What if the father hadn't grabbed both kids?
What if the father hadn't tried to hold onto the kids as long?
What if the attendant had stopped the lift sooner?
What if the lift had been running slower?

There are more then enough what ifs to keep that list going.

Is it unfortunate that a 2 kids got hurt. Yes it is and I feel bad for them. But was it the Ski Area's fault?, the Dad's fault? The Kids fault? Hell even the lift manufactures fault, I mean obviously a safer lift could be manufactured....

At the end of the day, this was an accident, and yep a couple of kids got hurt, and that is sad. But Accidents happen, All the time, if we as a society, keep looking for people to pay through the nose because of Accidents we are all doomed, to someday, not want to even leave our homes. Because heaven forbid we bump into someone walk in the mall, and they stumble because of it.

Anyway enough of my rant....

I heard it was Bush's fault.:D

Lawyers and responsibility
 

So, let me see if I understand. You are blaming someone else (the lawyers) for the "fact" (in your opinion, at least) that our society believes everything is someone else's fault?

You miss the point
 

This is a forum to discuss lake topics. Those of you that want to make off topic political snipes just because you think it's somehow entertaining corrode one of the core values of this forum. That's my opinion. Your dragging some complete non sequitur comment about Malden school candy policy into this thread is just a further example of how you either do not understand the pool rules or, more likely, think they don't apply to you.

This is a forum. It has rules. When you join you agree to follow them. That's not impinging on your personal liberty. You made a choice. You don't like the rules, then leave the site.

Thanks button is not enough
 

Mink Islander, just pressing the thanks button is not enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you for reminding members that there are rules they need to follow in order to preserve the integrity of this marvelous forum.

GG

I make a comment about individual liberties, and I'm ordered off the forum by one of its members???!!

I rest my case regarding, generally, individual liberties.

I think some people need to take some Midol or something.
There, that off topic enough for you?
Just about every single discussion gets off topic for some reason or another, some of you just need to settle down and deal with it. Honestly if things didn't then this would be one boring forum.

In light of recent developments...

It was, in fact, NOT Bush's fault.

It was Winnie's fault.:D

Wah wah
 

Guys like you make me laugh. Your definition of individual liberty is "I do whatever the F I want and I don't care about laws,rules or anything else. It's all about me. If you disagree I'll tell you it's all about my individual liberties". And read my post again. I said IF you can't follow forum rules you should go away. Rules you have already agreed to follow. And you won't get dessert unless you finish your peas. But I guess your mother would be violating your individual liberties. You do still live with your mother, right? Lol.

? ?.

You two want to go get a coffee, maybe some breakfast?