Devils Head Accident

Devils Head Accident:MERRIMAC, Wis. – Investigators were trying to determine Friday how a packed ski lift suddenly ran backward, injuring at least a dozen people.

Sauk County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Chip Meister said the incident occurred around 7 p.m. Thursday at Devil’s Head Resort in Merrimac, about 25 miles northwest of Madison. The lift was operating normally when it stopped and reversed direction.

Riders David Brady and Carl Schleich told WKOW-TV they saw dozens of skiers jump off the lift, some falling more than 20 feet, to avoid smashing into a wall at the bottom. Brady said he could hear chairs crashing and the sound of metal on metal.

Meister said the lift eventually stopped. Resort employees and rescue workers spent more than two hours getting skiers down, he said.

At least 12 people were treated for injuries at the scene, Meister said. Some were hurt as chairs hit the ground near the lift’s base, he said. Others tried to jump off the chairs, he said.

Seven skiers were treated at Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital in Prairie Du Sac. Six had “muscular skeletal” pains and were released, and one person broke their ankle and was expected to be released Friday, hospital spokesman Ken Carlson said.

Seven others were treated at St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo, hospital spokesman Kevin Grohskopf said. Six were treated and released, and one was treated for undisclosed injuries and was in stable condition.

Police detectives were on the scene Friday, Meister said.