A skier has lived most people's worst nightmare at Thredbo after plummeting to the ground when his chairlift was dislodged.

The skier was on the Gunbarrel Express Quad chairlift when strong winds knocked the chair loose about 3pm on Monday, throwing the man to the ground.

The skier was on the Gunbarrel Express Quad chairlift when strong winds dislodged the chair about 3pm on Monday. Credit:SnowsBest.com

SafeWork NSW confirmed the chairlift had been shut down pending an investigation by the safety watchdog.

The skier fell several metres, but only suffered minor bruising from the incident, according to a Thredbo spokeswoman.