A 19-year-old college student died after falling off a chair lift while skiing in Park City, Utah. The young woman has not been identified as police are still attempting to contact her family. This tragic accident comes just 10 days after famed Olympic freestyle skiier Sarah Burke died on the same mountain due to a fall sustained while performing a trick. Tragic turn: Park City, Utah is a popular winter destination, and a 19-year-old girl fatally fell off this ski lift there on Sunday The teenager who died just before noon on Sunday was enrolled at the University of Utah when she went to visit Canyons Ski Resort over the weekend. A press representative from the resort said that she may have been suffering a medical episode when she fell 30 feet down from the lift at 11.49am. Steve Pastorino, the press representative for Canyons resort, said that the woman was not staying at the resort but was simply skiing on the High Meadow trail as a visitor. He says ski patrol workers arrived within one minute of the fall to give first aid.
She was pronounced dead shortly after on scene and transported by helicopter to a local hospital. The woman, whose name has not been released, fell off the ski lift for the High Meadow trail, which is considered to be one of the easier routes Resort officials say the lift is on a slope used for beginners and has chairs with safety bars, but it is not certain whether or not she was using the safety bar at the time of her fall.Summitt County Police Detective Ron Bridge said that there office is purposefully waiting to release any new information. 'The father is coming into town today, and after I brief them, I will put out a news brief,' he told MailOnline. Vacation property: The woman who died was not staying at the Canyon Resort, but was skiing on the mountain which is open to the publicThis incident is markedly different than the one that caused Sarah Burke to die. Burke, who was 29 at the time of her death and one of the top half-pipe athletes in the world, died at the Salt Lake City hospital where she was taken last week following the accident in Park City, Utah.She had sustained ‘irreversible damage to her brain due to lack of oxygen and blood after cardiac arrest’, according to a statement released by her publicist.
She fell on the Eagle Superpipe in Park City after performing a trick known as a Flat Spin 540. Peter Judge, the CEO of Canada's freestyle team, said the injury was due to a 'freak accident' after a trick that was well within her capabilities.Chairlifts are an integral part of skiing. They act as transportation to the tops of hills and mountains. It would not be practical to walk to these starting points while wearing or carrying equipment. Most skiers take chairlifts in stride, but some are intimidated by the prospect of riding a chair attached to a cable and having to maneuver off at the top. The anxiety may be mild, but sometimes it is severe enough to keep a ski enthusiast from enjoying his favorite sport. Definition Anxiety is a natural reaction to a stressful situation, the National Institutes of Health explains. It usually happens when you encounter a challenge like an important exam or a potentially hazardous situation like driving in a sudden snowstorm. Anxiety can be caused by something most people consider normal, like encountering an insect, riding in an elevator or riding a chairlift.
In severe cases it can be a psychological problem. The Anxiety Disorders Association of America estimates 40 million Americans have this type of disorder. Types Chairlifts can cause anxiety for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the fear is an extension of a general fear of heights. Sometimes a skier is afraid the chairlift is not safe. They imagine horrible events like a broken cable or getting stranded in the chair due to mechanical failure or high winds. Sometimes the fear is centered around not being able to get off the chair properly while wearing skis and carrying poles and other equipment. Causes Anxiety sometimes has a factual basis. It may be triggered by a bad experience related to heights or riding a chairlift or an accident that gets a lot of publicity. Sometimes it seems to come out of nowhere. The person feels frightened even though he or she has never had a bad experience and has no firsthand knowledge of a chairlift accident. Solution A cognitive-behavioral counselor can often help a skier conquer his chairlift anxiety by teaching them special techniques.
For example, a skier who is afraid of an accident can research the actual chance of anything bad happening, which is very low. They can use a stop sign technique if the anxiety comes up while on a chairlift. They stop it by visualizing a big red stop sign to halt the fearful thoughts. Then they replace them with a mental reminder that the odds are against anything happening. Warning A fear of chairlifts can be part of a bigger problem. It may be a manifestation of a broader anxiety disorder that needs medical treatment. See a psychiatrist, psychologist or counselor if you are anxious about a variety of things to the point that your fears are inhibiting everyday life and activities. Medication might be needed, either alone or in combination with therapy. The Anxiety Disorders Association of America has a database of professionals who can help with severe cases of fear. Suggest an Article Correctionwill give you an opportunity to view all available Summit County real estate listings on the interactive map.