Tree narrowly misses skier on chairlift

Skiers know their sport can be dangerous but the close calls usually play out while racing down the slopes instead of on the chairlifts.

A skier riding on a lift in Ukraine's Bukovel Ski Resort on the morning of Good Friday watched in shock as a tree cracked then buckled before falling onto the wire supporting the chairlifts.

The footage shot by a fellow skier riding behind shows the tall spruce tree shed a number of branches as it slams into the overhead wires.

The impact causes the chairlifts to swing sideways and bounce up and down before the ride suddenly stops.

After a few second the lifts begin moving again and the tree bends against the wire until it snaps like a twig, sending the chairlifts bouncing and swaying once again.

Fortunately there was no one riding on the chairlifts immediately in the path of the falling tree.

The part of the Carpathian Mountain range in the Ukraine was reportedly hit by cyclonic winds last week that knocked over a number of trees and left some areas without electricity.