Skier Leaps From Vail Chairlift After Too Many People Loaded

Modern ski resorts, such as Vail Mountain in Colorado, use a host of chairlifts and gondolas to ferry skiers up the mountain.

Many newer chairlifts hold four, six, or even eight people at a time. A Vail skier learned that paying attention to how many people a chair can hold before loading it is essential to everybody's safety. You'll see what I mean.

A video posted to Reddit on Friday, February 13, 2026, shows a skier leaping from Vail's 'Sourdough Express Lift' after five skiers loaded a chair meant for four people.

"Too many people on the lift so they stopped it and he jumped off…" read the caption.

Tap or click below to watch the video. Keep reading for more.

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The skier took a hard landing despite the pad placed under the chair, and many commenters are wondering whether a better solution could have been implemented.

"I’m shocked this was the best possible solution," writes one commenter. "Why not rope Evac?" writes another.

Without further video evidence, it's hard to speculate how this situation unfolded and what mistakes were made. Regardless, the general consensus is that five skiers should never be able to load a four-person chair if a liftie is doing their job properly.

How they loaded the chair and then made it dozens of feet out of the loading station remains a mystery, but multiple mistakes or a lack of attention are surely to blame on the lift operators.

Skiers have an inherent responsibility for their own safety, but employees should have prevented this from happening in the first place.

Remember to pay attention when loading and unloading a chairlift, and always ask a lift operator if you have any questions or concerns.

Stay safe out there, friends!