A chairlift is seen at the closed ski resort of Kfardebian (known as Faraya), northeast of the Lebanese capital Beirut, on March 1, 2014. The resort of Faraya stayed closed this winter because of low snowfall rates that failed to reach the yearly average. AFP PHOTO/JOSEPH EID (Photo credit should read JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images)
You might think the worst thing that could happen to you on a chair lift at a ski resort is that you fall off . . . but THIS may be even worse.
A hydrant burst at Beech Mountain Ski Resort in North Carolina on Friday . . . apparently after a skier crashed into it. It was directly under the chair lift, which meant the riders on the chair lift were getting BLASTED by cold water.
The water was coming out with INTENSE force . . . enough that it was lifting the chairs on the lift, as well as lifting the skiers out of the chairs.
The chair lift continued operating, which meant many skiers got caught under it . . . sometimes for around TWO MINUTES. One person was clinging to the lift to stay on it. It was so wild that many people were jumping off the lift to avoid it.
Beech Mountain released a statement, but rather than apologize and take full responsibility, they blamed the situation on the skier who crashed into the hydrant, and dismissively said that it resulted in "several patrons getting wet." (???)
Two skiers were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
