In a bizarre incident that occurred in Vail, Colorado on January 1, 2009, a man was riding a chairlift when he fell through a gap in the seat. The 48 year old’s bare butt was left exposed for all to see.
How did this happen? The Vail Ski Patrol believes that the fold-down seat may not have been in the correct position, with a larger than normal gap exposed. The man fell through the space and his right ski got jammed in the lift, leaving him dangling upside down.
The unfortunate aspect of this fiasco was the fact that the man’s pants got stuck in the chair and were peeled away during his fall. He was left exposed to the elements until he could be lowered to the ground and dislodged from the chairlift.
The lift was stopped shortly after the botched boarding attempt but it took workers about 15 minutes to rescue the man. A professional photographer, off duty at the time, captured the scene as it unfolded and has been suspended by his employer Sharpshooters.
Marty Odom said, “I was out on my own with my own camera, so I didn’t think it was a big deal. I thought it was going to be the photo of the New Year. I guess it embarrassed Vail Resorts, and they called my shop.”
More photos below.