Tragic school trip
 

Boy in critical condition after chairlift accident
Canwest News Service
Published: Saturday, January 19, 2008

VERNON - A boy is in critical condition after a horrifying accident during a school trip at a North Okanagan ski resort.

The 12-year-old boy was snowboarding at Silver Star Mountain Resort with his classmates from an elementary school in Vernon Thursday afternoon.

He was trying to dismount at the summit chairlift's midstation -- halfway up the mountain -- when the chinstrap of his helmet got caught on the lift. As a group of children watched, he was dragged into the air and dangled there for an unknown time before falling free. He then plummeted about 10 metres to the ski run below.

Silver Star spokesman Michael Sherwood was saying little Friday about the accident. "All we can say is that there was a serious injury involving a young boy," he said.

Vernon RCMP said the boy was taken to a local hospital in serious condition. He was later flown to B.C. Children's Hospital in Vancouver when his injuries worsened.

Brian Stevens, the principal at Harwood elementary, said a grief counselling team was at the school "to debrief with kids, to see how things are going, as well as touch base with teachers."

He said other students who were on the trip were coping well.

"We're all extremely concerned with what took place," he said. "It was a school trip, which takes place every year.

"Obviously, our thoughts are with the child."

Stevens praised staff at his school, as well as staff at Silver Star, for their professional response to the accident.

The summit lift was not in operation Friday, and B.C. Safety Authority investigators will examine the lift before it's reopened.


© The Vancouver Sun 2008
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This was my son's classmate.... The kids all watched this. The child has still not regained consciousness..... It makes me queasy, as I know this child, he lives down the block :headshake

What a terrible accident. I hope the boy comes out of it ok. How's your son coping?

So far he's talking.. thats good... He was describing the "dangling from his neck, and him not making any noise" as well as describing how they took him off the mountain and how they were all questions etc etc....

He is worried, and honestly that news article has been the most info we have gotten so far, other than our son's account.

Well, I hope the boys wakes up and is none the worse for wear after a good sleep. It's possible the docs put him in an induced coma so his body can recover. Sometimes that's the best way.

My thoughts will be with you.

It's not an induced coma, he just has not yet woken up from the accident, as far as we know. Hopefully the body shut down, to heal... It's not looking good mind you, lack of oxygen is one theory.. the other is he broke his back or neck. No one knows, and thats the hardest part... for parents trying to help the kids who watched this... and the kids trying to cope with it as well.

Well perhaps the school can get some information for parents wishing to help their own kids through it? Perhaps you could get an update from the hospital? I'm not sure how the system works over there, but here anyone can call and get an update on a patient if they have some explanation of their relationship to the patient. Your sons friendship might be enough?

We are not able to get updates, if we are not on the family approved list... this stops papers, lawyers, stalkers etc from getting information about a person.

The school did get an update... He woke up (about 30-38 hours after the accident), and is trying to talk. He is also moving a little, so they have restrained him!!! YAY YAY YAY that means his neck is most likely NOT broken, or not as bad as first feared. Its looking like the strangulation is the biggest issue... with not being able to talk yet. Now I guess we wait and see if there is any brain damage from lack of oxygen.

That's great news Jaydaan. Here's hoping there's more of the same to come over the next few weeks.

wow.... hope he's ok. kids are resilient. made of rubber, some of them....

It's been a long long time since I have been downhill skiing. But if I remember right, there was always someone a the top of the hill watching/helping to make sure everyone got off the lift and out of the way of the chair.

Apparently this is not the policy of all ski areas? Mind you, I've only skiied in the upper midwest Mississippi Valley area, not on 'real' moutains, but I would think that would/should be mandatory at the summit of all lifts.

Thinking of your son and his friends, including the boy.

but he wasn't at the top, though, right? He was at a mid point? and anyway, it sounds like it just happened too fast.

in the blink of an eye your life can change . . .

There was someone there... the guy told the child to "put the bar back down, and ride to the top to get off safely" Not sure what went wrong but the child jumped/slipped/fell before the bar was firmly back in place.

or end!

our 8th grade classes in my jr high went to Gettysburg every year. The best part of the trip was Devil's Den.

http://www.nps.gov/archive/gett/gett.../tstd2-11a.jpghttp://www.nps.gov/archive/gett/gett...s/tstd2-11.htm

the year before we went, my friend Pat fell from the top of those rocks and broke his fucking head open. right on his left eye. he broke the orbital bone and was lucky to not lose his left eye. he still has the scar.

the next year, my class went....we were NOT allowed to climb on those rocks.