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A 19-year-old woman died Sunday at Canyons Ski Resort after she fell from a chairlift.
Investigators believe the woman, a student at the University of Utah, may have suffered a medical episode about 11:50 a.m., causing her to fall from the High Meadow lift, said resort spokesman Steve Pastorino. Summit County sheriff's Sgt. Ron Bridge would not disclose the woman's medical condition, but he said investigators have determined the condition caused her to fall. Pastorino would not release the woman's name pending family notification. The woman's family lives out of state, he said.
"Ski patrol arrived within one minute of the incident and began rendering aid," Pastorino wrote in a news statement. A medical helicopter was sent to the scene, and the woman was pronounced dead at 2:34 p.m.
Pastorino said chairs on the High Meadow lift have safety bars, but investigators have not yet determined whether one was in use when the woman fell. Bridge said the woman likely fell 30 to 35 feet. An autopsy Monday should show whether she died because of the medical condition, the fall or a combination of the two, Bridge said.
The woman was riding the lift with other skiers, Pastorino said. The High Meadow lift serves beginner runs to the mid-mountain Red Pine Lodge and the top of the gondola.