What do you call a person who acts with courage in the face of danger? A hero. That’s how many would describe professional slackliner, Mickey Wilson, after his daring rescue of a man dangling from a chairlift. The incident occurred around 11:00 am Wednesday morning at Arapahoe Basin in Colorado.
While uploading on a lift the victim’s backpack became caught. He was swept around the bullwheel at the top and headed back down the mountain when the lift operator shut down the lift. The 30-year-old man was trapped and hanging by his neck, dangling about 10 feet off the ground.
Mickey Wilson happened to be in the chair right behind him and recognized the gravity of the situation immediately. After a failed attempt at building a human pyramid, Wilson sprung into action-hero mode. He climbed the lift tower, slid 30 feet across the lift’s cable, and cut the victim free with a knife tossed up to him from a ski patroller.
“It was one of the most scary things I’ve ever seen, honestly. Just seeing a person get the life sucked out of them. I kind of stopped thinking and just started acting.”
Mickey Wilson, Badass Rescuer and Professional Slackliner
The rescued man was rushed to the hospital, treated for a broken rib, and later released.
OK, this is about the third of these just this season. you’re not many minutes from your car in the middle of a resort. What the hell is in the pack?