Groveland Twp.- Jerry Leece could only watch as a woman dangled from a chairlift more than 20 feet over the snow-covered ski slope.
‘She was slumped over in the chairlift seat when she started to fall,? said Leece, a member of the Mt. Holly Ski Patrol for more than 37 years. ‘The man next to her was trying to hold her in the chair but he started to fall, too. So he had to let her drop.?
Paramedics later determined the 40-year-old woman had suffered a heart attack while skiing and after surviving the fall, was resuscitated by ski patrol members.
‘Groveland Township responders were on the scene in just a few minutes. We took the Groveland Township EMS up the hill and they used the defibrillator,? said Leece. ‘They have done a great job through the years in getting out here fast. It’s great they are just down the road from Mt. Holly.?
Leece is one of about 116 National Ski Patrol members at Mt. Holly, who during the winter months work in groups to canvass the slopes, assisting skiers and snowboarders. About 33 host patrol members also work at Mt.Holly during the season, assisting the public on chairlifts and other non-injury activities.
‘Skiing is now a lot safer,? said Leece. ‘From wooden skis that snap and cable bindings that cause a host of leg and ankle injuries’today the equipment makes skiing a lot more safe.?
Leece says that during his time on the ski patrol he has contended with a variety of skiing-related issues, from frostbite to broken limbs to serious crashes. Other common injuries are hair or scarves caught in the tow rope.
‘Sometimes there are some really bad wipe outs that you just wonder if that skier is going to get up. We watch and make suggestions to skiers if they may be heading for trouble.?
‘Snowboarding has really changed the sport,? said Leece. ‘The type of injuries have changed too, many of the ‘boarders? wear helmets and wrist guards. The snowboarding seems to cause more broken wrists from reaching down and trying to catch yourself. Leg and ankle injuries are not as numerous.?
Since 1938, the non-profit National Ski Patrol, which includes about 26,000 members, has assisted skiers and snowboarders around the world.
Patrol Director Calvin Chase, 63, has been a National Ski Patrol member for 22 years, and at Mt. Holly for about 17 years.
‘The ski patrol provides the training in skiing or snowboarding, on-slope rescue skills, aerial lift evacuation skills, and winter emergency care skills,? said Chase, who started skiing in Ohio when he was 27-years-old. ‘For new members, it takes about two years and (you must) work a regular duty shift along with regular patrollers as well as attend a training night and all required courses and examinations.?
‘We have the best groups ever here at Mt.Holly,? he said. ‘We’ve won many awards for our work here through the years. There are days where we have a lot of injuries and others when a lot of people are skiing and few injuries.?