Young boy left dangling from ski-lift by backpack

Footage shows boy trapped while people frantically try to rescue him before he falls

Footage has emerged of young boy being rescued after he was left dangling from a chair ski-lift by his backpack strap at a resort in Utah.

The images show the boy throwing his polls to the ground as a rescue team retrieve a ladder and mat in case he fell at the Sundance Mountain resort.

Clint Ashmead, a witness who recorded the footage, told ITV News he had feared the boy would fall or be choked by his bag.

He said: “We could not believe this was happening right in front of us.

“He was hanging down below the chair-lift a good couple of feet. We were all very concerned.”

The incident is reportedly the second time in weeks where a child has dangled from the lift after another boy was caught by his backpack just before Christmas.

Officials at the resort said they advised all guests not to wear a backpack on the lift or, if it is necessary, to wear them on the front as it makes it harder for the straps to become caught.

The boy in the video had a lucky escape. In January 2015, a five-year-old was rushed to hospital in Pennsylvania after falling 30ft from a chair lift.

Footage of the incident showed the young boy flapping his legs as he tried to hang onto the lift before falling and hitting the snow where two people on the ground rushed to his aid.