Man hurt in chairlift fall

SANDPOINT — A 65-year-old man was flown to Kootenai Health after tripping and falling off the lift-loading platform Saturday afternoon at Schweitzer.

There was no word on the man's condition.

The man was attempting to get onto the Great Escape Quad lift when he tripped and fell about four feet from the lift-loading platform, Taylor Prather, Schweitzer public information officer, said.

"Following the fall as a result of a misload, the guest was unresponsive," Prather said. "A bystander began administering CPR within one minute of the incident before patrol arrived on scene to take over."

Schweitzer Fire responded, and the person was transported via ambulance to the Schweitzer fire station landing zone at approximately 5 p.m., where he was then loaded on a Life Flight helicopter and transported to Kootenai Health.

Bonner County EMS officials posted to their social media accounts detailing a "busy weekend for BCEMS crews, including this critical patient flyout with our Life Flight Network partners from Schweitzer Mountain (Saturday) during the annual Fall Fest." 

Bonner County EMS credited Schweitzer Fire District, Schweitzer Ski Patrol and bystanders for rapid responses and performing CPR on the man.