Kiwi skier ‘feared for her life’ after being thrown by high winds on chairlift at Italian resort

A New Zealander who travelled to Italy for a dream skiing holiday said her trip turned into a horror movie when she was nearly thrown from the chairlift in high winds.

She and her friend have been left “traumatised” after their ordeal and are urging the resort to take accountability.

Stephanie Burt, 48, was embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday to the Cervino ski resort with her family and a family friend.

Kiwi Stephanie Burt "feared for her life" during horror Italian chairlift ordeal.

The trip soon became a nightmare for the mother-of-two when 110km/h winds struck a chairlift she was riding.

London-based Burt and her friend Barnaby Dunning were skiing on Thursday, and while visibility was low, there was no indication earlier in the day that using the lift was risky.

Five minutes into the journey, the chairlift was deactivated as the gusts began to swell. Burt told MailOnline the chair began twisting in the air forcing her to hold on for her life.

She only credits her survival to Dunning, whose weight was able to stop the chair from flipping upside down.

The chairlift across from them started swinging and spinning erratically in the frenzied gales, as seen in the video.

It looks as though it would collide with Burt and Dunning, whose skis are visible hanging from the seat. She said the lone skier in the chair behind was “screaming” due to the winds whipping his seat.

“His screams were harrowing,” Burt told MailOnline.

“It sounded like he was falling to his death. The fear of God was put into me in that lift. It was the most frightening experience of my life.”

One skier fell from the chairlift and was taken to hospital with injuries.

She thought about jumping from the lift at times to save her life and began wondering if she would see her two children again, aged 9 and 11.

This lift in Cervinia (Cretaz) closed just before we got on! Scary! Few people are stuck on lifts and some clearly damaged by huge gusts! #Cervinia @CerviniaValt @Cervinia_ski @BBCNewsPR @BBCNews pic.twitter.com/lKBy1tOsTV

— Mr C Geo and PE (@MrCrabtreePE) March 28, 2024

After about 20 minutes, resort employees showed up to climb the pylon next to them in an apparent attempt to fix a sensor that would have allowed the lift to start operating again.

She collapsed to her knees in horror when the lift finally reached the summit, only to realise she would have to ski back down the hill.

Just rewatched the video I made… pic.twitter.com/qkItCXGcWx

— Peter Achten (@pr3) March 28, 2024

She and Dunning have been left “traumatised” after their ordeal and are urging the resort to take accountability.

“They’re wiping their hands of it and I don’t feel there are any safety protocols in place whatsoever,” Burt told MailOnline.

She claims the staff told her she “was not in any danger” and only apologised for frightening them.

“If my nine-year-old had been on that lift, he would not be here today. If I had been alone on that lift I would not be here today to tell the story,” Burt said.

Rachel Maher is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. She has worked for the Herald since 2022.