Footage has captured the terrifying moment a 16-year-old girl slid from a ski lift in California before plummeting to the ground below.
The girl was left dangling from a stationary cable car around 30ft in the air, at Mammoth Mountain ski resort on Saturday.
A shocking clip circulated on social media shows her clinging to the carriage. She appears to be strapped to a snowboard on one foot, which dangles below her.
Resort staff gathered below and tried to catch her in a net, but it appeared to do little to break her fall.
Onlookers can be heard exclaiming in horror as she hits the ground hard, making a loud noise on impact.
The girl was taken to hospital following the incident, but her condition is not known.
In a statement, Mammoth Mountain said the girl had not been seated, when she slid from the chair.
#MammothMountain Going #skiing they, it would be fun. This is what happens when you don't hold the blanket or tarp properly. pic.twitter.com/cyXfXyqqsZ
— Dave Toussaint (@engineco16) January 30, 2024
"As the chair began its ascent, the guest, who for unknown reasons was not completely seated, began sliding off the chair," a resort spokesperson said in a statement to MailOnline.
"The other individuals on the chair grabbed hold of the guest and held her from falling as lift operators stopped the lift.
"Five Mammoth Mountain employees and eight guests immediately responded and positioned the deceleration net under the guest.
"When the guest slipped from the grasp of her chair mates, the net decelerated her fall, but did not stop it.
"The guest was transported to Mammoth Hospital for evaluation.
"Our thoughts are with the guest and her family."
Mammoth Mountain is a large ski resort in eastern California, along the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
It covers around 3,500 acres and is understood to be served by 28 ski lifts, including the the Stump Alley Express chair, which is understood to be the lift from which the girl fell.
It is located an approximate five-hour drive north of Los Angeles, and three hours south of Reno, Nevada.
