Scott Lewis, 53, gave ski lessons at Stowe Mountain Resort. In warmer months, he assisted riders on the resort's massive zip-line course, one of the longest in the country. Riders soared at highway speeds just above the dense canopy.
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Last September, Lewis was helping guide customers through the zip line's three steep spans. For the final leg, a 3,484-foot line known as the Perry Merrill Zip, Lewis and a coworker slid down the pair of side-by-side cables so they would be able to then receive their guests at the bottom. Lewis reached speeds as fast as 82 miles per hour, according to a personal GPS tracker he wore. As he neared the end, two lanyards that were supposed to keep riders fixed to the cable trolley burst apart, hurtling Lewis past the landing platform and into a tower. He was dead moments later.
The fatal accident on one of Stowe's marquee summer attractions shook the community. More than six months later, the results of an investigation conducted by the Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Administration brought renewed grief.
