Boy falls off chairlift

Photo: Google Street View

Summertime view of Big White plaza chair.

As Big White Ski Resort is packed with families on spring break, a safety reminder is being issued following an incident in which a child fell from a chairlift on Wednesday.

A six-year-old boy from Abbotsford was riding the plaza chair with his grandmother when he fell about 16 feet onto Big White Road, near where it enters the village.

Resort vice-president Michael Ballingall says the grandmother lifted the restraining bar early as the chairlift crossed the road, and the boy slipped off the chair.

The child suffered some lacerations on his face, and was immediately attended to by Big White Fire Department members, who called 911. He was taken to Kelowna General Hospital by ambulance, where he was checked out and found to be otherwise uninjured.

"He's back on the hill," said Ballingall.

He reminded skiers to keep chairlift restraining bars in place until signs at the unload station advise to lift them.