Parents Say Creek At Bottom Of Ski Hill Poses Danger At Wisconsin Resort

CHICAGO (CBS) — Two North Shore parents say there’s a downhill danger at Alpine Valley Ski Resort in Wisconsin after their children fell into a creek at the bottom of a ski run.

The two mothers say they fear there could be more to come, and the outcome could be far worse if nothing is done.

Fresh weekend snow welcomed eager snowboarders and skiers at Alpine Valley Resort in Wisconsin Monday.

It’s where Melissa Mastros and her three boys have hit the slopes for years.

“One hundred percent, it’s going to happen again, 100 percent,” Mastros said.

Her 10-year-old son Luke, who she said is an intermediate skier, went down a slope earlier this month.

“He was skiing down one of the runs and went through the fence and went into the river,” Mastros said. “He happened to lose control. It can happen to anyone. It can happen to an experienced skier. Anyone can lose control.”

Luke busted through a soft temporary fence and into in the frigid creek.

An incident report shows he was quickly pulled out and treated for hypothermia.

“It’s a river at the end of a ski run. It’s ridiculous. It’s absurd. It needs to be fixed,” Mastros said.

Susie Smyth told CBS 2 that her 9-year-old daughter also ended up losing control on the same hill, and ended up going through the fence in 2017. She was stranded on the frozen over creek and needed to be rescued.

“She seemed so scared and she was in those heavy ski boots,” Smyth said. ”

“My intention with coming forward with my story is not to vilify Alpine Valley Ski Resort,” Smyth said. “My hope is to call them to action.”

“It’s crazy that people are flying into this river, and nothing is being done about it,” Mastros said. “Somebody is going to die in there. It’s like a death trap.”

CBS 2 did speak with someone who identified himself as the general manager of Alpine Valley Ski Resort. He wouldn’t say how often guests end up in the water and wouldn’t say if changes are in the works. All he would say is that guest safety is paramount.