12-year-old girl falls from chairlift at California Mammoth Mountain ski resort
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The traumatic moment when a 12-year-old girl fell to the ground after swinging on a ski lift for a while in California was captured in a jaw-dropping video.
The terrifying incident occurred Saturday at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort, when a visiting snowboarder appeared unsafe on the chairlift.
In a video that went viral on social media, the girl appeared to be gripping the chairlift in a desperate struggle while still attached to her snowboard, her feet dangling in the air.
Later, it was seen that several mountain rangers rushed to his aid and placed padding material and a safety net under him to prevent his fall.
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Ski resort staff try to place a safety net under a chairlift as a child dangles in the snow on Mammoth Mountain in California on January 31, 2026. (Kristen Tellez via Storyful)
The girl then tragically fell to the ground, missing most of the safety net, according to the footage. Rescuers briefly appeared in shock before raising the alarm.
A woman claiming to be the girl’s mother commented on the post, saying her daughter “miraculously escaped with no broken bones or serious injuries.”
“As the mother of my 12-year-old daughter who fell today, I really want to thank everyone who came out to help her,” she said. “The huge team did everything they could to get to him as quickly as possible. It was an incredibly traumatic experience and everyone supported us.”
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A 12-year-old girl swings from a chairlift moments before falling at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort in California on January 31, 2026. (Kristen Tellez via Storyful)
Answering the questions why the safety bar of the chair was not lowered, the mother emphasized that no one was at fault. She stated that the chair slipped right after her daughter got in and there was no time to fix it.
“We had no chance when it came to the bar,” he added. “It slid right down. There was nothing anyone did wrong. Luckily, it was a series of small choices that happened quickly that led to the crash.”
In the video, the girl is seen sitting next to two people before she falls. According to his mother, the group held him for as long as possible, which gave rescuers time to respond.
Ski patrol responds after a 12-year-old girl fell from a chair lift at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort in California on Jan. 31, 2026. (Kristen Tellez via Storyful)
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“As a mother, I know it is my duty to protect my child,” she said. “We held on as long as we could. Long enough to get people in a position to let him go.”
Despite the traumatic experience, he said the family would not be deterred from skiing and “will start skiing again when they are ready.”
