Skier in California dangles 65 feet after chairlift prank goes wrong at Big Bear

A skier was left dangling 65 feet in the air after a prank on a chairlift went terribly wrong.

The incident happened Feb. 24 at Big Bear Lake in California, where Roula De Miranda-Arce, 21, was riding the lift with her twin sister and a friend, news agency SWNS reported.

Big Bear Mountain Resort confirmed the incident in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.

“At approximately 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24, a 21-year-old female skier safely loaded onto Chair 9 at Bear Mountain. At some point during her ride to the top, she failed to maintain proper safety protocols and became suspended from the carrier,” the resort said in its statement.

The organization added, “The guest and her sister, who was riding the carrier with her, admitted to horseplay as the reason for her becoming suspended. As soon as staff became aware of the situation, they took quick action to stop the carrier and unload everyone as soon as it reached the upper terminal.”

Officials said the skier was evaluated by ski patrol as a precaution and did not sustain significant injuries.

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In an attempt to jokingly scare her sister, De Miranda-Arce slid down from the moving chair, planning to hang briefly before pulling herself back up, SWNS reported.

The weight of her skis, however, made it impossible for her to lift herself back onto the seat — leaving her suspended as the chair continued uphill.

Video shows the young woman hanging in midair while her sister and friend cling tightly to her arms, preventing her from falling.

“I thought I was going to die or become a paraplegic,” she said.

The young woman said she began screaming as the strain on her arms intensified.

“I was screaming at one point, ‘Just let me go,’ because it felt like my arms were going to break,” she said. 

“And thank God my sister and my friend did not listen to me.”

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The pair managed to hold her for roughly two minutes until the chairlift reached the top of the slope — where ski patrol members were waiting for her.

“It’s crazy what your body does in fight or flight,” she said.

The resort said the incident serves as a reminder for guests to lower the safety bar and avoid potentially dangerous behavior while riding lifts.

Fox News Digital previously reported on another alarming chairlift incident in California earlier this year.

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A 12-year-old girl was left dangling from a ski lift at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort before falling to the ground in a frightening moment captured on video.

Footage showed ski resort staff rushing to position padding and a safety net beneath her as she struggled to hold on, though she ultimately missed most of the net during the fall.

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Her mother later said the girl “miraculously walked away with no broken bones or major injuries” — calling it a traumatic but accidental event.

Bonny Chu of Fox News Digital contributed reporting. 

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