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A chilling video has captured the harrowing moment a 12-year-old girl in California fell to the ground after hanging momentarily from a ski chairlift.
The horrific incident happened Saturday at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort after a snowboarder felt unsafe on a chairlift.
In a video that went viral on social media, the girl was seen holding on to the chairlift in a desperate struggle, with her legs dangling in the air, still tied to her snowboard.
Several mountain staff members were then seen rushing to help, placing padding and safety netting below him in an attempt to prevent him from falling.
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Ski resort workers struggle to install a safety net under a chairlift as a child dangles above the snow on Mammoth Mountain in California on January 31, 2026. (Christian, Live Storyul)
According to the footage, the girl then fell to the ground and tragically lost most of the safety net. The rescue workers appeared to be in shock for a short time before running away in panic.
A woman claiming to be the girl’s mother commented on the post, saying that her daughter “miraculously walked away without any broken bones or major injuries.”
“As a mother of my 12-year-old daughter who fell today, I really want to thank everyone who came forward to help her,” she said. “The huge team did their best to reach her as quickly as possible. It was an incredibly traumatic experience and everyone supported us.”
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A 12-year-old girl hangs from a ski chairlift moments before it falls at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort in California on January 31, 2026. (Christian, Live Storyul)
When asked why the safety belt of the chair was not lowered, the mother insisted that it was no one’s fault. She indicated that the chair slipped soon after her daughter sat down, leaving her with no time to secure it.
“As far as the bar is concerned – we had no chance,” he said. “She went down immediately. There was nothing that anyone did wrong. It was a series of small choices that happened quickly that led to a sudden accident.”
In the video, the girl was seen sitting next to two other people before she fell. According to his mother, the group held him for as long as possible, giving rescuers time to respond.
Ski patrolmen respond after a 12-year-old girl fell from a chairlift at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort in California on January 31, 2026. (Christian, Live Storyul)
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“As a mother, I know it’s my job to protect my child,” she said. “We held on as long as we could. Long enough for people to be in a position to let him get away.”
Despite the traumatic experience, she said the family would not let it stop her from skiing and “will go skiing again when she’s ready.”
