Hamtramck teacher falls off lift during school trip

The Brief

• A Michigan teacher is recovering in the hospital after falling from a ski lift.

• Another teacher said their students were shocked by the incident.

• Officials say she fell 20 feet.

HOLLY, Mich. (FOX 2) – A fun day of skiing for a group of students at Mt. Holly Ski Resort turned into panic Wednesday after a teacher took a huge fall from a ski lift at Mt. Holly.

What we know

That teacher from a school in Hamtramck is recovering after the freak accident. FOX 2 heard that the teacher is expected to be okay.

Another teacher, Terry Christensen, was chaperoning a school trip of boys from Frontier International Academy in Hamtramck. He says he rushed over to the scene.

“I was going up the middle lift on one of the intermediate runs and I saw the ski patrol down on the hill. And I said, well, it can’t be any of my students because they’re on beginner passes,” he said. “I was just thinking ‘I hope it’s not her. I really hope it’s not her.’ And I went right over her and I saw her, she was being helped by multiple people.”

Then, the ski patrol told him his fellow teacher and chaperon fell 20 feet off the ski lift.

“At first it was a little bit of a shock but once I talked them down and said listen, it’s a freak accident,” he said. “Things happen out here. You just gotta stay safe at all times. Anything can happen. Even if you think you’re paying attention and that everything’s all good, something could happen out of nowhere.”

Groveland Township Fire Department arrived on the scene immediately after they received the call. They treated the woman with help from Michigan State Police.

Officials say she was taken to the hospital with potentially severe traumatic injuries. Meanwhile, Christensen says she’s recovering with her mom by her side, which gave the boys some relief.

“They knew that she was getting the care she needed, and they were able to have a lot of fun still,” he said. “It was a successful trip. Things happen and it’s unfortunate. I wish her a speedy recovery.”

Mt. Holly remained open throughout the incident.

What we don’t know

There has so far been no word on the kind of injuries the woman suffered, but police say she is recovering.