What happens if lightning strikes a chairlift?

There are plenty of bonded paths (grounding) to allow the energy from a strike on a lift system to find ground without having to go through a person on a chair. You're probably in more danger standing next to a pole that got struck since you are standing on a surface with a huge potential gradient.



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There are a few lightning fatalities on ski slopes every year. There are instances where lightning strikes the lift and no one gets hurt. But you aren't safe like birds on a wire are safe.

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According to the National Ski Areas Association, some 3,500 chairlifts across the country make more than 300 million lift rides every year. Yet since 2004, there have been three fatalities from falling off a chairlift, the NSAA says.

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Contrary to popular belief, metal does not inherently attract lightning. Instead, height, shape, and isolation are the dominant factors in determining where a lightning bolt strikes. The taller, more pointed, and isolated a structure, the more lightning will be attracted to it.

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