The terrifying moment a nine-year-old boy plunged 20 feet from a ski lift – and survived – has been captured on video.
In the jaw-dropping clip, the young skier can be seen gripping the hand of an adult sat in a ski chair while staff at the Liberty Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania make desperate attempts to rescue him.
As he dangles over the slope for more than 45 seconds, he manages to kick off one of his skis but fails to free himself of the other one.
And then in a heart-stopping moment, the boy eventually falls to the ground before rescuers scramble to get to him.
The adult who held him until he dropped can be seen waving their arms around in panic after the fall.
Amazingly, the boy only suffered a leg injury, according to reports.
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Adrian Delgado, a bystander who caught the whole incident on video, told TV news: "He fell from 20 feet and just hurt his leg - it has to be a miracle."
He was flown to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. One ski instructor said the boy seemed conscious and alert when medics arrived.
The resort's owner Rick Buckman said the chair lift had not malfunctioned.
He added: "It's up to the parents or adults. Everybody knows their child and their abilities. There are children that age who ride lifts themselves, but it's not recommended."
Witnesses said the family had not been using the ski chair's safety rail when the accident happened. The resort is investigating the incident.