Man Hanging By Neck At Ski Resort Talks To Ellen
LOS ANGELES (CBS4) - The man who was rescued after falling off the chair lift at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area talked with Ellen Tuesday.
Richard admitted, though, that at first he was hesitant to become part of the "news cycle," which is why he turned down other interview offers.
"I wanted to keep the focus on the real hero here, and the rescue," he said on the show. "I didn't think I had much to contribute to that story. I really think the story is about the miracle of Mickey having the skills and the ability to jump up there and do what he did."
Richard changed his mind when his friend, Mickey Wilson, who he'd met just that morning through other mutual friends, called him about the opportunity to talk with Ellen.
"He called me up and said 'I got this opportunity, Ellen wants to meet us.' And I said, 'Wow. I mean, it's Ellen, right?'"
Wilson, who spoke with CBS4 after the incident, when he cut down his friend who was hanging by the neck, recounted the ordeal to Ellen, talking about how he was "butt scooting, basically" across the cables to cut his friend loose.
What does Richard remember of the incident, though?
"Not very much," he said. "Little figments, which I think are memories."
CPR was performed on Richard after the Arapahoe Basin Ski Patrol caught him below the lift, but he was released from the hospital the day after the incident, really only sustaining a broken rib, a tweaked neck, along with some soreness and a few bruises.
For appearing on the show, the two were given a trip to Hawaii, to somewhere warm despite their love of the snow and cold.
Ellen joked that "You can go separately, but I'd take him with you if I were you."
