A Montana man named Jeffrey Zinne tragically died this week after he fell from a faulty chair lift at a local ski resort. The 37-year-old father traveled to the Red Lodge Mountain establishment on Monday, where he boarded the chair lift in order to do some snowboarding. However, he took a fall that proved to be fatal after winds in the area reached up to 65 miles per hour on the day of the accident.
People Magazine reports that Jeffrey Zinne was alone at the ski resort when he fell to the ground on Monday. He was transported to Billings hospital, where he died on March 12. A rep for the Red Lodge Mountain resort, Troy Hawks, revealed that the lift had a mechanical problem, which may have caused the fall.
Zinne leaves behind a two-year-old son and his wife, Meghan. Following the incident, a GoFundMe page was created to help the late Montana man’s family. In the description on the page, it was revealed that Jeffrey’s loss has been devastating for his loved ones. In addition, he was said that the snowboarder gave the ultimate sacrifice by donating his organs.
“His passion for life, infectious laughter, and kind-hearted nature touched everyone around him. He was a man who always put others first, whether it was supporting his family, being there for his friends, or bringing joy to those lucky enough to spend time with him. Jeff and his wife were also devoted local business owners of Montana Air Cartage,” the description read.
Montana Man Jeffrey Zinne Died After Falling From Chair Lift At Ski Resort in High Winds
The GoFundMe page has a goal of $50,000. On Thursday afternoon, it reached more than $28,000 of the goal.
Spencer Weimar, the resort’s acting interim manager, released a statement revealing that the resort places “top priority on safety” and that the lift has been closed until they can ensure the safety of their guests.
An outpouring of love and support has come rolling in for Jeffrey Zinne’s family. However, some question whether or not the Montana man should have been on the chair lift in the first place due to the high winds of the day.
“The resort should have closed all lifts considering wind speeds of 65 mph. Those are tropical storm force winds. That is absolutely insane. Forget the faulty lift, they endangered the lives of their customers. This good man should not have died,” one person commented.
“Who in their right mind allow anyone to get in those chairlifts with 65 per hour gusty winds? Whether that chair was faulty or not, with those high winds, the accident was imminent. That business owner need to be held accountable for his greed and negligence,” another said.
“Unfortunately it happens all the time,” a third person wrote.
“I have so many questions, but I will say it boggles the mind that the lift was operating in those conditions in the first place,” a fourth comment read.
People are now mourning the loss of the Montana man who left behind his loving family. Jeffrey Zinne’s memory will continue to be honored by his loved ones as they deal with his immense tragedy.
