Skier Dies From Asphyxiation By His Coat On Vail Chairlift

VAIL, CO — A 46-year-old man who was visiting Colorado was suffocated to death Thursday when his coat was caught on a chairlift at Vail Ski Resort, officials confirmed. The skier, who was from New Jersey, died at the Blue Sky Basin section of the resort.

"The cause of death is positional asphyxia and manner of death is accident. The investigation is still ongoing," Eagle County Coroner Kara Bettis said in a statement.

A preliminary investigation by the coroner found that the man "slipped through the seat of the chairlift and his ski coat got caught up in the chair," according to Vail Daily.

"The coat ended up going up around his head and neck area putting his neck in a position that compromised his airway,” Bettis told the news outlet. The chairlift had a folding seat, and the skier's coat was caught when he went to sit down.

Ski patrol performed CPR on the 46-year-old, and he was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Read the Vail Daily report here.