Montana's father tragically died after falling from the chairlift when a mechanical malfunction turned a day of snowboarding into slope horror.
Jeff Zinne, 37, passed away Monday afternoon when he plunged from the lift at Red Lodge Mountain.
Zinne was riding alone with three lifts on the peak triple lift line when some kind of mechanical problem fell to the ground below.
One of his father was rushed to the hospital, but died of injuries.
The problems that caused Zinne, or the very thing that caused his tragic fall, remain unknown.
The wind had broken over 50 mph on the morning of the accident, which led to some lift lines being closed.
A Red Lodge spokesman said they were still investigating the accident and could not comment further.
However, that led to a massive evacuation of the lift. It stopped after the accident and left over 100 people.
Ski patrol units had to be safe one at a time using a rope system.
According to the resort, the triple chairlift has been in operation since 1983 and provided a complete safety code for daily inspections. It will remain closed until the issue is evaluated.
Jinne leaves behind his two-year-old son whom he knew as “Dadagai” and his wife Meghan, who runs a local shipping business.
“His passion for life, infectious laughter and gentle nature of the heart touched everyone around him,” read the GoFundMe page for his family.
“He was the man who puts others first, first, whether he supports his family, is there for his friends, or brings joy to those lucky enough to spend time with him,” Page added.
Fatal ski lift accidents are fairly rare, according to the National Ski Area Association.
From 1956 to 2024, only 35 fatal incidents occurred. Of these, 16 were caused by mechanical problems.
Before Zinni's tragic fall, the final lift's death came in 2020 when a man from a Colorado Vail Resort was suffocated by clothes trapped in the lift.
With post wire
