A startling video has captured the heart-stopping moment when a 12-year-old girl fell from a ski chairlift at a California resort after hanging precariously for a short time.
The alarming event unfolded on Saturday at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort, as the young snowboarder seemed to be insecurely positioned on the chairlift.
The footage, which quickly gained traction on social media, shows the girl clutching the chairlift in a desperate attempt to hold on, her feet swinging in the air while still attached to her snowboard.
In response, several resort staff members rushed to the scene, working swiftly to place padding and a safety net beneath her in hopes of breaking her fall.
Resort workers at Mammoth Mountain in California hurried to deploy a safety net under a chairlift as a child dangled perilously above the snow on January 31, 2026. (Kristen Tellez via Storyful)
The girl ultimately fell to the ground, unfortunately missing much of the safety net, as the video shows. Rescuers appeared momentarily stunned before quickly moving in to assist her.
A woman claiming to be the girl’s mother commented on the post, saying her daughter “miraculously walked away with no broken bones or major injuries.”
“As the mother of my 12 yo daughter that fell today I really want to thank everyone who came out to help her,” she said. “The mammoth team did their best to get to her as quickly as possible. It was an incredibly traumatic experience and everyone supported us.”
A 12-year-old girl dangles from a ski chairlift moments before falling at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort in California on Jan. 31, 2026. (Kristen Tellez via Storyful)
Addressing questions about why the chair’s safety bar was not lowered, the mother emphasized that no one was at fault. She indicated that the chair slipped almost immediately after her daughter got on, leaving no time to secure it.
“As to the bar – we had no chance,” she added. “She slipped down right away. There was nothing that anyone did wrong. It was a series of small choices that happened quickly that led to a fluke accident.”
In the video, the girl appeared to be sitting next to two other people before falling. According to her mother, the group held onto her as long as possible, which gave rescuers time to respond.
Ski patrol respond after a 12-year-old girl fell from a chairlift at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort in California on Jan. 31, 2026. (Kristen Tellez via Storyful)
“As a mother I know it is my job to protect my child,” she said. “We held on as long as we could. Long enough to have people get into position to allow her to walk away.”
Despite the traumatic experience, she said the family will not be deterred from skiing and “will be riding again when she’s ready.”
