Several skiers were injured at a North Carolina ski resort on Friday when a damaged hydrant sprayed a blast of water onto them riding above on a lift, prompting several of them to jump.
Speaking to WBTV-TV, management at Beech Mountain Resort said that a guest skied into the water and air hydrant while snowmaking operations were underway. Two people were rushed to a local hospital with non-life-threatening. The person who skied into the hydrant was not injured.
“As soon as we became aware of the problem, our operations and safety team took action as quickly as possible to drain the system safely and assist the remaining skiers in disembarking at the top of the lift,” resort management said in a statement.
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WSOC-TV spoke to two women who said they jumped 25 feet from the ski lift when the water hit them.
Emma Lopinto was celebrating her 19th birthday when she and her best friend were doused in water as they rode above on the chair lift.
“We just grabbed each other and ducked our head and all I remember is the metal bar flying up and then me flying up. I don’t remember anything and I remember opening my eyes belly first on the ground,” Lopinto said.
“I have bruises from head to toe, some big, some small, like all over my body,” she added. Her friend also was hurt in the incident.
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Ivy-Elise Ivey told WSOC that she and her boyfriend could see what was happening and decided to jump along with several others.
“Everyone was in shock. You’re not going to jump from 25 feet, if you don’t think you have to,” Ivey said.
She said she broke her arm, fracturing it around her elbow.