A snowboarder had to be rescued from a Mount Ashland chairlift on Saturday.
The snowboarder told mountain staff he was trying to take the weight off his snowboard and clipped his safety leash onto the chairlift he was riding with two other guests.
He apparently forgot to remove the leash when approaching the unloading area and, as a result, ended up hanging upside down from the chair.
The operator stopped the lift near a tower and a ski patroller was able to guide the snowboarder to the ladder on the tower and get him to the ground safely. Other patrollers and bystanders used a tower pad to protect the snowboarder from a potential fall during the rescue.
The snowboarder, who preferred to remain anonymous, was not hurt in the mishap. He praised the ski area for its rapid handling of the incident.
Snowboard leashes are intended to stop runaway boards from striking other guests and are required by law under the Oregon Skier Statute.
