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174 Colorado skiers and snowboarders rescued after lift cracks

WITH THE HELP OF “EXTERNAL CYBERSECURITY” – EXPERTS AND POLICE. AS THE WEATHER TURNS COLDER, HARDY MAINERS WILL STILL BRAVE THE ELEMENTS AS THEY GEAR UP FOR THE WINTER SPORTS SEASON. THAT MAY MEAN ICE SKATING, HOCKEY, SKIING, SNOWMOBILING, SLEDDING AND THE LIST GOES ON. JOINING US NOW TO TALK ABOUT WINTER SPORTS AND INJURY PREVENTION IS DR. BENJAMIN HUFFARD, AN ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON FOR NORTHERN LIGHT MERCY HOSPITAL. DR. HUFFARD, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST COMMON INJURIES THAT YOU SEE RELATED TO WINTER SPORTS? SINCE MOST WINTER SPORTS INVOLVE SLIPPERY SURFACES SUCH AS SNOW AND ICE, A LOT OF INJURIES COME FROM FALLS. THIS CAN RESULT IN INJURIES TO THE UPPER BODY AND HEAD. CONCUSSIONS ARE RELATIVELY COMMON AS ARE INJURIES TO THE SHOULDER, ELBOW, AND WRIST. THERE ARE SOME SPORT SPECIFIC INJURIES WE SEE AS WELL, SUCH AS LIGAMENT INJURIES TO THE KNEE IN DOWNHILL SKIING, AND WRIST INJURIES IN SNOWBOARDING. ADDITIONALLY, BEING OUTDOORS IN THE WINTER IN MAINE CAN RESULT IN ENVIRONMENTAL INJURY SUCH AS FROSTBITE AND HYPOTHERMIA. LETS TALK PREVENTION… WHAT ARE SOME STEPS ATHLETES CAN TAKE – TO PREVENT INJURIES A WINTER ENVIROMENT DOES BRING A UNIQUE SET OF CHALLENGES TO PREPARE FOR. PROPER PREPARATION CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF DECREASING INJURIES. WITH WINTER SPORTS I LIKE TO THINK ABOUT PREPARATION IN 3 DIFFERENT AREAS: PREPARING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, PREPARING OUR EQUIPMENT, AND FINALLY PREPARING OUR BODIES. 1) PREPARING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT: THIS MEANS CHECKING THE WEATHER AND DRESSING APPROPRIATELY. USUALLY DRESSING IN LAYERS MAKES SENSE AS IT ALLOWS YOU TO REMOVE LAYERS OR INCREASE VENTILATION AS YOU HEAT UP DURING ACTIVITIES, THEN BUNDLE UP AS YOU COOL DOWN DURING PERIODS OF INACTIVITY. 2) EQUIPMENT: WINTER SPORTS ARE EQUIPMENT DEPENDENT. PROPERLY ADJUSTED AND WELL-FITTING EQUIPMENT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF DECREASING RISK OF INJURY IN SPORTS, SUCH AS SKIING OR SNOWBOARDING. CRAMPONS AND HIKING POLES CAN DECREASE SLIPS AND FALLS DURING WINTER HIKING. MANY WINTER SPORTS HAVE BENEFITTED FROM THE DEVELOPMENT OF APPROPRIATE HELMETS WHICH HELP WITH BOTH KEEPING ATHLETES WARM AND COMFORTABLE WHILE ALSO PROTECTING OUR HEADS IN THE EVENT OF FALLS. 3) PREPARING OUR BODIES: BY DEFINITION, WINTER SPORTS ONLY OCCUR DURING PART OF THE YEAR, SO GETTING OUR BODIES READY FOR THESE ACTIVITIES IS IMPORTANT TO MINIMIZE INJURY. BY STARTING A PRESEASON ROUTINE OF CORE STRENGTHENING, FLEXIBILITY TRAINING, BUILDING CARDIOVASCULAR ENDURANCE, AND WORKING TO IMPROVE BALANCE, WE ARE ABLE TO SHOW UP TO WINTER ACTIVITIES PREPARED TO BOTH ENJOY THE ACTIVITIES MORE AND MINIMIZE THE RISK OF INJURY. FOR SOMEONE WHO IS NOT FEELING 100 PERCENT…ITS COMMON FOR SOME FOLKS TO SAY. WELL – I’M JUST GOING TO PUSH THROUGH THE PAIN. WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST WHEN IT COMES TO “A TIME TO REST”..OR A ITS TIME TO PAY A VISIT TO SOMONE LIKE YOU. IT IS NORMAL TO BE SORE AFTER STARTING UP AN ACTIVITY THAT WE HAVE NOT DONE FOR A WHILE. IF YOU NOTICE THAT YOUR MUSCLES ACHE, OR YOUR JOINTS ARE A LITTLE BIT STIFF AFTER YOUR FIRST TIME BACK AT A SPORT, REST, ICE, ELEVATION, AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES CAN BE REALLY HELPFUL. IF YOU HAD A FALL OR EXCELLENT TIPS AND GUIDANCE THIS AFTERNOON… DR. BENJAMIN HUFFARD,

174 Colorado skiers and snowboarders rescued after lift cracks

Officials were investigating Sunday what caused a crack in a Colorado ski lift that forced the evacuation of over 170 stranded skiers and snowboarders.Related video above: Maine doctor offers tips on how to avoid winter sports injuriesThe gondola lift at Winter Park Resort, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) west of Denver, automatically stopped when it detected the crack in a structural piece of the lift just after noon on Saturday, resort spokesperson Jen Miller said. People riding in the gondolas were lowered down by ropes over the course of about five hours, she said.No injuries were reported during the rescues, which came at the start of the busy holiday ski season.Ski patrollers entered the cabin of each gondola from above and lowered people’s equipment to the ground before using a rope equipped with a seat to lower each of the 174 passengers to the ground, Miller said.Workers were replacing the section of the lift that cracked Sunday as state regulators and the lift’s manufacturer worked with resort officials to investigate what caused the crack, Miller said. The resort still had 21 other lifts open.

WINTER PARK, Colo. —

Officials were investigating Sunday what caused a crack in a Colorado ski lift that forced the evacuation of over 170 stranded skiers and snowboarders.

Related video above: Maine doctor offers tips on how to avoid winter sports injuries

The gondola lift at Winter Park Resort, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) west of Denver, automatically stopped when it detected the crack in a structural piece of the lift just after noon on Saturday, resort spokesperson Jen Miller said. People riding in the gondolas were lowered down by ropes over the course of about five hours, she said.

No injuries were reported during the rescues, which came at the start of the busy holiday ski season.

Ski patrollers entered the cabin of each gondola from above and lowered people’s equipment to the ground before using a rope equipped with a seat to lower each of the 174 passengers to the ground, Miller said.

Workers were replacing the section of the lift that cracked Sunday as state regulators and the lift’s manufacturer worked with resort officials to investigate what caused the crack, Miller said. The resort still had 21 other lifts open.