Ski lodge owner: 5-year-old boy alone on ski lift when he fell

The owner of a Montgomery County ski lodge says a 5-year-old boy was alone Saturday night on a ski lift when he fell 30 feet to a snowy slope below. The youngster was injured but his condition was not available Sunday.

The child, whose identity was not released, was taken by helicopter to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia after he fell at Spring Mountain Adventures in Schwenksville. Citing privacy laws, a spokeswoman for the hospital declined Sunday to say how he was doing.

Rick Buckman, who owns the ski lodge, said the boy was wearing a helmet when he fell about 30 feet to the slope below. He did not lose consciousness. Buckman said he was told the boy had a cut on his face and that ski patrol members suspected he had a leg injury.

The snow base on the slopes at Spring Mountain is 20 to 40 inches, Buckman said.

The child was riding the beginning ski lift alone, he said. Buckman said he has received conflicting reports on whether the safety bar was up or down, as well as who was supervising the child.

Buckman said employees help skiiers onto the lift and tell them to lower the safety bar.

He said some 5-year-olds ride alone. "It's up to the parents or adults. Everybody knows their child and their abilities," he said. "There are children that age who ride lifts themselves, but it's not recommended."

Buckman said the lift was thoroughly examined afterwards. "There's no lift malfunction," he said. "There's no chair malfunction. There's no restraint malfunction."

Falls are rare, he said. In his 15 years at the lodge, "two or three" riders have fallen.

– Stacey Burling