Jaw-dropping video captures the agonizing moment a 12-year-old girl fell to the ground after briefly swaying on a ski lift in California.
The horrific incident occurred at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort on Saturday when visiting skiers appeared to be unsafe on a lift.
In a video that went viral on social media, the girl appears to be struggling desperately, clinging to the lift with her feet dangling in the air while still tied to her skis.
Several mountain staff then rushed to help, placing padding and safety netting underneath in an attempt to catch her fall.
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A child dangles in the snow as ski resort staff scramble to place a safety net under a chairlift on January 31, 2026 in Mammoth Mountain, California.
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Video shows the girl then fell to the ground, losing most of her safety net. The rescuers were briefly shocked, then crawled over in terror.
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A woman who claimed to be the girl’s mother commented under the post that her daughter “miraculously walked away with no broken bones or serious injuries.”
“As the mother of a 12-year-old daughter who fell today, I really want to thank everyone who came out to help her,” she said. “A huge team worked hard to find her as quickly as possible. It has been an incredibly traumatic experience and everyone is supporting us.”
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On January 31, 2026, a 12-year-old girl hung from a ski lift at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort in California and then fell.
When asked why the chair’s safety bars were not lowered, the mother stressed that no one was at fault. She said the chair slipped as soon as her daughter got into the car and had no time to secure it.
“As for the bar – we didn’t stand a chance,” she added. “She slipped immediately. No one did anything wrong. It was just a series of small choices that happened very quickly that led to a fluke.”
In the video, the girl appears to be sitting next to two other people before she falls. According to her mother, the group held on to her as long as possible, giving rescuers time to react.
On January 31, 2026, Ski Patrol responded to a 12-year-old girl who fell from a lift at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort in California.
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“As a mother, I know it’s my job to protect my children,” she said. “We held on as long as we could. Long enough to get people in position and get her out of the way.”
Despite the traumatic experience, she said her family would not stop her from skiing and “will do it again when she’s ready.”
Original source of the article: Video shows 12-year-old girl dangling from ski lift in California before falling to ground
