Liam Gratton had his walk on Mount Table in Canada over the weekend, CTV News reported.
But the 12-year-old snowboarder hadn’t planned for this to happen on his chairlift on the Saskatoon slopes, the station said.
What happened?
Liam told CTV that after a quick adjustment of the lift bar, he simply “slipped” from his chair. His older brother Luke noted at the train station that a safety bar had been removed too soon.
Image source: CTV News video screenshot
Either way, Liam managed to grab the edge of the chairlift before falling, CTV reported – and was forced to continue hanging by the slope trip.
Image source: CTV News video screenshot
Aaron Arcand and a friend saw everything as they walked on the elevator behind Liam, the station said: “Right in front of us I suddenly saw the little boy there looking sideways and I think he too reached close to the side and slipped. ”
Like others witnessing the frightening moment, all they could do was watch and shout encouragement at Liam.
“There was nothing we could do, we just had to stay there,” Arcand told CTV. “I started telling that boy to ‘just hang on, don’t let go, just keep hanging the man, just don’t let go.’ It was intense, a shocking feeling. ”
Arcand pulled out his phone and recorded the ordeal, the station said.
Here is the full clip:
Child hangs from chairlift after slipping off chair in Saskatchewan ski resort
youtu.be
Fortunately, Liam managed to stay to the top:
Image source: CTV News video screenshot
Image source: YouTube screenshot
Arcand added to CTV that once he reached the top, he checked Liam and complimented him on his upper body strength.
So how do we tell mom?
Liam’s mother, Kaelah Gratton, told the station that her sons informed her about Liam’s affair when they got home – but that she didn’t quite understand. Then he saw the video that was already doing a quick tour on social networks and then he understood everything too well.
“I watched her and watched her and I just got sick and sicker thinking about what would have happened if she had fallen,” she told CTV.
Image source: CTV News video screenshot
Table Mountain general manager Lawrence Blouin told the station that he was relieved that Liam had: “Thank God it could have been a very serious incident.”