SAM Magazine—Bartlett, N.H., Feb. 3, 2025—On Feb. 2, a carrier with one rider aboard detached from the Flying Bear lift at Attitash Mountain. The carrier fell approximately 20 feet. Credit to David Gunzburger

Eyewitnesses report that the male passenger was conscious and walking after the fall. He has since been released from the hospital.

The investigation into what caused the chair to detach remains ongoing, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Division of Fire Safety. Based on the preliminary investigation, it appears to be a mechanical failure that caused the chair to dislodge from the cable.

Earlier today, Feb. 3, 2025, tramway inspectors with the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office returned to the resort to continue their ongoing investigation and inspection of the Flying Bear lift, a 1995 Doppelmayr detachable quad. The investigation is being aided by representatives of the lift manufacturer, who were on the scene today.  

As part of the ongoing investigation, tramway inspectors will review records of past inspections of the lift, including the most recent State inspection conducted in November 2024. 

In an email to NHPR, a representative of Vail Resorts, which owns Attitash, said the resort does daily lift inspections in addition to the annual inspections by the state.

This is the second lift incident in a challenging season for Vail Resorts. Five people were hospitalized when two chairs collided at Heavenly, Calif., on Dec. 23.