A snowboarder died in an incident that occurred at Red Lodge Mountain in Montana on Tuesday, March 11, after he fell from a three-person lift. According to local reports, he was unseated and fell during a period of gusty, erratic winds.
Jeffrey Zinne, 37, was riding the lift alone when he fell, sustaining accidental blunt-force injuries. He was helicoptered to a Billings, Mont., hospital. There, the Yellowstone coroner pronounced him dead early the following morning of March 12.
“Yesterday was an unfortunate day at Red Lodge Mountain as a guest was injured as the result of a chair lift incident,” Red Lodge Mountain said in a Facebook statement on the evening of March 11. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the guest and his friends and family, and all guests and employees impacted by this incident.”
Zinne was a devoted husband and father of a 2-year-old boy. A GoFundMe has been set up on behalf of his wife, Meghan. On the GoFundMe page, she wrote, “In lieu of more flowers I ask that you just take your most beloved and go for a drive to the mountains. Nye was always our favorite spot.”
Triple Chair was subsequently closed, and patrol evacuated 135 guests by ropes, mountain operators told local news station KTVQ. Red Lodge Mountain is currently investigating what happened. It said Triple Chair will remain closed until the resort can ensure “the continued safe operation of the lift.”
GearJunkie has contacted Red Lodge Mountain for comment and clarification on some of the details surrounding this accident. We have yet to hear back from the resort. It wasn’t immediately clear on Thursday if local authorities planned to investigate the incident.