Olga Filkin, a 44-year old Brooklyn woman, has been identified as the victim in a bizarre ski lift accident in the Catskills on Sunday.
Filkin was reportedly on the chair lift alone on Sunday afternoon when she fell roughly 25 feet on Hunter Mountain; authorities believe one of her skis got caught on a lift support pole, which pulled her under the restraint bar. They have officially ruled her death an accident.
“This is a terrible tragedy. We can only imagine what the family is going through, and we stand ready to assist them in any way that we can,” said resort president Russ Coloton.
According to the New York Post, Filkin fell about 100 feet from the loading post and was taken immediately to the resort’s first aid room, where she was pronounced dead.
“She was getting ready to get off the chairlift and she fell,” coroner Hassan Basagic III said.
There were reportedly about 3,000 people on the mountain over the weekend, but the resort issued a statement saying they had many safety protocols in place in order to reduce worry.
“Safety is a top priority for Hunter Mountain, and we have a wide variety of programs and protocols in place. These touch every aspect of our operations. There are always going to be elements of risk involved in skiing and snowboarding, but our staff works hard to make sure that guests can enjoy the mountain as safely as possible,” said Gerry Tschinkel, Hunter Mountain vice president of sales, marketing and sponsorships.
Filkin is survived by her husband and 20-year old daughter, who have declined to speak to the media thus far.