Five-year-old who fell from Montco chairlift rode alone

The owner of a Montgomery County ski area says a 5-year-old boy was riding a chair lift alone Saturday night when he fell 30 feet to a snowy slope below.

The youngster, whose identity was not released, was injured, but his condition was not available Sunday. He was flown by helicopter to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia after he fell at Spring Mountain Adventures in Schwenksville. Citing privacy laws, a spokeswoman for the hospital declined Sunday to say how he was doing.

Rick Buckman, who owns the Montgomery County ski area, said the boy was wearing a helmet when he fell. He did not lose consciousness. Buckman said he was told that the boy had a cut on his face and that ski patrol members suspected he had a leg injury.

Buckman said the ski area allows parents or adults skiing with children to decide whether a child can ride the lift unaccompanied.

He questioned whether it was a good idea to let a 5-year-old ride alone, as did families visiting the slopes Sunday.

"They let him on by himself?" asked Brendella Adkins of Philadelphia, who was taking a lunch break with her niece and daughter.

The three said they thought the lift was safe but that young children should be supervised.

"Even if the parent falls short, the place should have rules and regulations," said Adkins' niece, Nadiyah Young, 23.

Buckman said he has received conflicting reports on whether the safety bar was up or down, as well as who was supervising the child.

Buckman said employees help skiers onto the lift and tell them to lower the safety bar.

Some 5-year-olds ride alone, he said. "It's up to the parents or adults," he said. "Everybody knows their child and their abilities. There are children that age who ride lifts themselves, but it's not recommended. . . . There's a certain amount of personal responsibility that goes along here."

On Sunday afternoon, a nearly perfect ski day with temperatures in the high 30s, sunshine, and no wind, parents and children enjoying the snow at Spring Mountain were surprised to hear that the 5-year-old had been on his own.

Several people said the ski patrol on Sunday was not letting children ride the lifts without adults.

"They are telling kids they have to ski with their mom or dad or a grown-up," said Jimmy McFadden, 8, from Maple Glen, who was with his father, James P. McFadden.

The Roberts family - parents Cynthia and Glenn, and sons Kyle, 10 and Ethan, 8 - didn't let the boy's fall keep them from enjoying the day.

"You've got to take risks and can't be afraid to do stuff," said Glenn Roberts of Spring City.

But Cynthia wondered whether parents should let a 5-year-old ride the lift alone. "It's absolutely the responsibility of the parents," she said. "They [the resort] are not babysitters."

Buckman said the lift was thoroughly examined after the fall. "There's no lift malfunction," he said. "There's no chair malfunction. There's no restraint malfunction."

Falls are rare, he said. In his 15 years at the lodge, "two or three" riders have fallen.

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@StaceyABurling