A man from Illinois has died after falling around 25ft from a chair lift at a Colorado ski resort. Sixty-year-old John Perucco was trying to brush snow from his seat when the accident happened.
According to Colorado news site Summit Daily, Perucco was on a skiing trip at Breckenridge Ski Resort, which offers acres of skiable terrain over five mountain peaks. He was on the first section of the Zendo Chair line when he fell and landed on hard, groomed snowpack.
Summit County Coroner's Office reported that Perucco was wearing a helmet, but died in the emergency room following the accident.
According to the coroner, the safety bar wasn't down when Perucco fell, but a spokesperson for the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board, which is investigating the incident. couldn't say whether there was a fault with the chair.
"Breckenridge Ski Resort, Ski Patrol and the entire Vail Resorts community extend our deepest sympathy and support to our guest’s family and friends," said Jody Churich, vice president and chief operating officer at Breckenridge Ski Resort, in a statement.
