Beware Backpacks and Chairlifts!!!

LOTA wrote:Some chairlifts, in Switzerland particularly, forbid you from wearing rucksacks on the lift. The lifties insist you remove them before boarding - and very sensible that is, too.

Horrible incident involving a British school pupil last week whose rucksack became entangled and was left dangling by the neck from the chair.

Yep, rucksacks can be very dangerous. Daughter got hers caught between slats on old wooden chairlift in Les Carroz a few years ago. She was being dragged - it was horrible.
We ran to help her, the liftee stopped the lift and the metal barrier came down right on my head!!!
And, no, I wasn't wearing a helmet!
2 incidents for the price of one. Learnt a lesson though
Especially beware rucksacks with the thumb loops you can use to tighten the straps - that's what got caught with ours.

Flippin eck. Dangerous rucksacks? Will we be insisting on helmets for them too next?

You can't be too safe Tony!! Seriously tho I hope your leg is now ok Laura and you are planning your next ski trip. That is definitely a horror of a chair but the run down through the bumps is worth it if you can ever bring yourself to have another go.

Tragic cases, including the dreaded Backpacks and Chairlifts scenario.

http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/news/boy-dies-after-baqueira-beret-accident/

Hopefully, even if one person who reads this escapes injury or hilarity then job done by all!

A young 14 year old boy from Torquay on a school ski trip is VERY ill having been hung by his rucksack at half term. Apparently it got caught in the safety rail as it was opened for exit.....it slid up his back got caught around his neck and strangled him as the chair went back down. I have heard a rumour that the ski lift operator was asleep so was not able to stop the chair immediately. The lad was dead when they eventually cut him down but he was resuscitated and then put in an induced coma. His parents brought him back to the UK last week. Very sad.