'Freak' Gust Of Wind Causes Riders To Plummet To Ground On Australia's Longest Chairlift
This past weekend, at 2:20 PM, on Saturday 19th, a gust of wind caused a chair from Australia's longest chairlift -- the Kosciuszko Quad Express -- to detach at Thredbo Resort, plunging three snowboarders onto the snow below.
An image of the fallen chair was shared by skier Eran Thomson on August 20th.
According to an article from ABC, the three snowboarders were transported to nearby hospitals after the incident. Two suffered back injuries, whereas one suffered facial injuries.
In a statement shared on Instagram this weekend, Thredbo wrote that the accident is under investigation by SafeWork NSW -- a safety compliance and regulating body in New South Wales -- alongside independent experts.
The resort also stated that the Kosciuszko Chairlift resumed operation on Sunday, August 20th, after independent engineering inspections.
This isn't the first time a chairlift has detached from its cables at Thredbo. 2016 and 2019 also saw fallen chairs at the resort, making the 2023 accident the third of its kind in seven years.
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