A skier who fell through a chairlift in Vail, Colorado, was left dangling upside down, half-naked, when his pants got caught on the chair as he was falling. The 48-year-old skier was not injured in the January 1, 2009, incident. According to reports, the skier was left hanging for about seven minutes while lift operators reversed the lift, allowing the Vail Ski Patrol to get him down. During the incident, several photographs were taken, along with cell phone videos.MyFox Colorado: Naked Skier OK After Fall Through Vail Chairlift TheDenverChannel.com: Skier Left Dangling Half-Naked On Lift
SharpShooter Imaging, the firm which employed photographer Marty Odom at the time the photos of the incident were taken, sent The Smoking Gun website a cease and desist letter on January 14, 2009, requesting any published photos of the incident be removed from the site since they violated the firm's "commitment to respect the privacy of all resort guests at every resort SSI represents."The Smoking Gun: "Ski Bum" Pic Flap (January 14, 2009)
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"Lift operators immediately stopped the lift and Vail Ski Patrol was called to the scene. Lift mechanics were able to reverse the lift approximately 10 to 12 feet, at which point the man was released. He was not injured."—Liz Biebl, Vail Resorts spokeswomanTheDenverChannel.com: Skier Left Dangling Half-Naked On Lift
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Skier left hanging upside down on chairlift in Vail, Colorado, on January 1, 2009
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Skier was attempting to load a chair when he reportedly fell through a gap in the folding chairTheDenverChannel.com: Skier Left Dangling Half-Naked On Lift
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Man's pants became snagged on the chair; he was left hanging with his pants down as the lift ascendedTheDenverChannel.com: Skier Left Dangling Half-Naked On Lift
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Photographer Marty Odom was on duty for SharpShooter Imaging, was suspended for distributing the photosThe Smoking Gun: "Ski Bum" Pic Flap (January 14, 2009)
