A snowboarder became entangled in a tow-line at indoor ski centre Snowplanet in an incident now being assessed by WorkSafe.
By Haley Doig
An eyewitness says the snowboarder was left hanging by their wrist as he disembarked the equipment at the facility north of Auckland.
Jeffery Yao said the person was dragged downslope while suspended in the air for about 10 seconds until a staff member stopped the lift and the snowboarder dropped to the ground.
“He was screaming… he was taken away after, as he had a wrist injury,” Yao said.
Snowplanet is conducting a full internal review into the incident, which happened earlier this month. It wouldn’t comment on specific details until that was completed but confirmed the person was left suspended above the ground.
A spokesperson said the lift was immediately taken out of service and comprehensive checks were carried out.
“Those checks confirmed the lift and its safety systems were operating correctly. The guest was medically assessed at the time and was able to leave afterwards.”
WorkSafe’s northern regional manager, Brad Duggan, said the agency is now assessing Snowplanet’s compliance with the Health and Safety Act 2015.
“Operators not only have a responsibility for their workers, but also their customers, and must not lose sight of that. While we want thrill-seekers to enjoy themselves, it’s critical that risks are not overlooked and businesses do what they can to keep people safe,” he said.
Shocked and concerned
Yao, who said he was visiting Snowplanet for the first time on the night of the incident, said he was shocked and concerned by what happened.
He questioned the level of staffing at the facility and said he did not see any staff at the top of the lift to assist riders or press the emergency stop button.
However, a Snowplanet spokesperson said lift attendants are positioned to monitor the tow-line with clear visibility and access to emergency stop controls.
“At any given time, multiple trained staff are on duty across lift operations, slope supervision, and guest services,” they said.
“We acknowledge that in this instance the guest became suspended before the lift was stopped. That sequence of events is part of the review currently underway.”
The centre has disputed some claims made online about the centre’s safety procedures.
“Snowplanet has hosted millions of guest visits over more than two decades of operation and currently holds a 4.4-star rating across more than 2,600 public reviews. Anecdotal online comments should be considered in the context of the scale of our operations,” it said.
ACC said it accepted 268 claims lodged in 2025 which mentioned Snowplanet, with a total cost of $416,000. The full details of these claims are unknown and some may have occurred through personal fault.
In 2014, WorkSafe prosecuted and fined Snowplanet $42,000 after a staff member’s arm became caught in a conveyor belt while they were clearing excess snow from underneath it.
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