BILLINGS — A Billings man has died from injuries he sustained after falling from a ski lift at Red Lodge Mountain on Monday, March 10, 2025.
The Yellowstone County Coroner's Office identified the man as 37-year-old Jeffrey Neil Zinne; the cause of death was accidental blunt force injury.
Zinne was injured when he fell from the Triple Chair at the ski resort during what officials said was a period of gusty winds.
He was flown by emergency helicopter to a Billings hospital, where he died due to his injuries at 1:16 a.m. on Wednesday.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Zinne's family, which says:
Jeff was a devoted husband to his loving wife, Meghan, and a caring father to his 2-year-old son. His passion for life, infectious laughter, and kind-hearted nature touched everyone around him. He was a man who always put others first, whether it was supporting his family, being there for his friends, or bringing joy to those lucky enough to spend time with him. Jeff and his wife were also devoted local business owners of Montana Air Cartage.
Click here if you would like to donate.
On Tuesday, Red Lodge Mountain interim general manager Spencer Weimer said they are investigating what happened: "We ended up in an unseated passenger situation. We’re still in an investigation of the full situation, so that's really all I can say."
Billings skier Robert Tambo was on one of the chairs with his son when the lift shut down.
"I've honestly never seen it that windy before," Tambo said Tuesday. "I'm not too fond of heights and then shaking around was not a fun experience."
Tambo and many others were stuck on the lift for more than 30 minutes until ski patrol helped each visitor rappel from their chair one by one.
Weimer emphasized the importance of safety procedures, which he said are reviewed daily. The mountain's lifts are inspected by a third party annually.
