Fearless friend rescues dangling skier off A-Basin lift
- by Virginia Carter
- in World Media
- — Jan 8, 2017
A man who was unconscious while dangling from his neck on a chairlift at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area was saved by a professional slackliner in a daring rescue on Wednesday. Parts of the wild Wednesday rescue at the Arapahoe Basin ski area were caught on video and in photographs published by the Post.
Other friends, including Hans Mueller, tried to create a human pyramid to reach their friend but couldn't get firm footing in the fresh snow.
"I realized I could climb the lift tower above the chair and climb onto the cable and shimmy down to him", he says.
The responders "perfectly tossed" him a knife, and Wilson was able to cut down his pal.
"I slid across it, just like I've done thousands of time on a slackline and I got down to him", Wilson said.
"That's when I realized - it all kind of snapped together - that I can climb this tower and get to him", said the professional slackliner, who has nabbed top prizes in Red Bull events and competed worldwide. KCNC reports Mickey Wilson didn't celebrate putting his skills to life-saving use until he was able to talk with the man via Facetime to make sure he was okay.
"As he tried to get off, his backpack caught, and because he was on the outside of the chairlift, he went around the emergency chairlift shutoff (trigger)", Wilson told the Post. "It's probably somebody fighting real terrorist in Iraq or Syria or Aleppo or something, not me", Wilson said Friday from the base of Arapahoe Basin.
"I think he was just reacting but with a guy like Mickey, reacting and a plan can sometimes be the same thing", Meuller said.
The unconscious man fell to the snow, where ski patrol members performed CPR and restored the man's breathing.
The resort told the publication that the skier was attempting to unload from the lift when his backpack (filled with food, water and climbing skins) got caught.
A preliminary investigation into the matter found that the man on the lift was wearing a backpack, which was "attached to his person", Isaac said.
But he said he "had a eureka moment" and chose to climb the lift tower and crawl down to the lift to try and free the man.
"I took off my gloves and I climbed up the lift tower", he said. It was second nature, just like being on a slackline, only way colder and made of steel.
"We absolutely recommend that guests remove the backpack prior to boarding the chair and sit with it in their lap in front of them", Isaac said.
