Man who fell from chairlift at Breckenridge Ski Resort died of blunt force trauma, coroner says
Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board has said it is investigating the incident but has yet to release a public report
The man who died after falling from a chairlift at Breckenridge Ski Resort on March 17 died of multiple blunt force injuries sustained in the fall, according to the records from the Summit County Coroner’s Office.
John Perucco, 60, of Elgin, Illinois, was pronounced dead at St. Anthony’s Summit Hospital in Frisco after the fall, the Summit County Coroner’s Office previously said. Perucco was reportedly wearing a helmet at the time.
Perucco had not yet reached Tower 1 of Zendo Chair when he fell approximately 25 feet before landing on a hard-packed, groomed trail below, according to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation determined the “male had fallen off of the chairlift as he was attempting to remove snow from the seat surface,” the Sheriff’s Office said in an email, which added that the restraint bar was in the up position.
The Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board is investigating the incident, according to Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies spokesperson Lee Rasizer. A public report has yet to be published.
The manner of death was an accident, according to the coroner’s office.
Support Local Journalism
Support Local Journalism
As a Summit Daily News reader, you make our work possible.
Summit Daily is embarking on a multiyear project to digitize its archives going back to 1989 and make them available to the public in partnership with the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. The full project is expected to cost about $165,000. All donations made in 2023 will go directly toward this project.
Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.