It was horror on the slopes at a ski resort in the nation of Georgia earlier today when a ski lift began running in reverse, pulling skiers down the hill at faster and faster speeds. Some managed to jump off before reaching the bottom, while others were flung off. When the gondolas began tangling up, the crowd screamed for everyone else to ditch the lift before they reached the bottom.
Yuri Leontyev, 32, from Belarus, was on the ski lift with two friends when the incident occurred. He filmed people being thrown off of the chairs, landing in the snow.
"The ski lift stopped and started going in reverse," he told CNN. "We had to jump from it, because at the bottom (of the hill) it was total trash and no chance to stay safe."
"We jumped, moved to a safe area, and made a short video," he added
Another eyewitness, Ukrainian Iryna Iadak, was on the lift with her boyfriend.
"The movement of the lift stopped and a minute later we drove back," she told CNN. "The speed increased, it was out of control. The lift could not be stopped. People began to jump from different altitudes, panic began. Many did not manage to jump off and were thrown out from the impact."
Ten people were injured, and were taken to safety by the ski patrol and three ambulances. There are more videos of the incident at CNN. -via Boing Boing