Man dies after fall from ski lift

A snowboarder fell from a ski lift at a Montana ski resort. He died from his injuries.

Red Lodge Mountain said the man, identified as Jeffrey Zinne, fell from the Triple Chair lift on Monday.

He was flown to a hospital in Billings, Montana, where he died on Wednesday.

The coroner said he died from accidental blunt force injury.

There was gusty winds at the time of Zinne’s fall.

The lift was shut down and skiers had to be taken from the lift by ropes. More than 100 people had to be rescued, officials said.

Red Lodge Mountain spokesperson Troy Hawks said there was a mechanical issue with the lift but did not explain what the issue was, saying that it was being investigated.

The Triple Chairlift is about a mile long and built in 1983.

Hawks said that all of the lifts are checked out daily by staff, and an annual inspection is conducted by professional inspectors, which is required by the resort’s insurance and the U.S. Forest Service, which leases the land to the company.

Deadly ski lift accidents are rare according to the National Ski Areas Association. Only 35 people died from 1956 to 2024.

Zinne left behind his wife and 2-year-old son.

Local news reports said he donated his heart and kidney.