A 7-year-old boy who fell at least 35 feet from a Purgatory Resort chairlift on Sunday was not fully seated when the lift took off, according to the resort. He was flown by helicopter to Mercy Hospital and later flown to Denver for further treatment.
Initial reports stating the boy was released from Mercy were incorrect, according to updated information provided Tuesday to The Durango Herald.
The boy was participating in a ski lesson when he fell between towers five and six on Lift 1, known as Purgatory Village Express, around 11 a.m.
Purgatory Ski Patrol responded and transported the boy to the base area, where Durango Fire Protection District crews took over patient care. DFPD called for a Classic Air Medical helicopter after medics observed symptoms suggesting possible internal injuries, said Battalion Chief Charlie Amos. The child was later flown to Denver via Flight for Life for a higher level of care, his father confirmed, but declined to provide additional details.
Purgatory Village Express is a six-person chairlift that ascends 1,500 vertical feet from the main base area. It was operated at the time by one lift attendant, which is standard practice, according to Purgatory General Manager Dave Rathbun.
Although recent staffing adjustments have moved some managers into operations roles for cost-saving purposes, Rathbun said the lift was operated by a “trained multiyear lift operator” at the time of the incident.
The boy received assistance boarding the lift from the operator, but was not fully seated as the lift moved up the mountain. The chair was loaded with four students and two instructors. One instructor grabbed the boy’s jacket and held on as long as possible before losing grip.
At no point was the lift stopped during the incident.
“The lift operator was not aware of the issue with the child,” Rathbun said. “Nobody noticed.”
Cleve Thomas, a family friend who was at Purgatory on Sunday, said he was told that a second instructor may have lowered the bar, preventing the first instructor from pulling the boy back up onto the lift. Rathbun was not aware of that level of detail, he said.
The resort is following standard protocol, Rathbun said, and has reviewed the incident in daily safety meetings while conducting a deeper evaluation with the staff involved.
Ski resorts must report lift falls to the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board, and this incident was reported within the required 24-hour window.
A 7-year-old girl was injured at Purgatory Resort in 2017 after falling 26 feet from Lift 1, and a man fell 30 feet from the same lift in 2020.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
