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A jaw-dropping video captured the traumatic moment a 12-year-old girl plunged to the ground after dangling momentarily from a ski chairlift in California.
The frightening incident happened Saturday at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort, when the visiting snowboarder appeared to be unsecured on the chairlift.
In a video that went viral on social media, the girl appeared to grip the chairlift in a desperate struggle as her feet flailed in the air, still strapped to her snowboard.
Several mountain staff members were then seen rushing over to help, placing padding and a safety net below in an attempt to catch her fall.
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Ski resort staff scramble to position a safety net beneath a chairlift as a child dangles above the snow at Mammoth Mountain in California on Jan. 31, 2026. (Kristen Tellez via Storyful)
The girl then crashed to the ground, tragically missing most of the safety net, according to the footage. Rescuers appeared briefly in shock before scrambling over in alarm.
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.”
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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)
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“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.”