It's been a rough few weeks for lift ops at North American ski resorts as a number of lift-related malfunctions have resulted in injuries and prompted closures.
Two incidents occurred at different resorts on the same day this week. At 9:20 a.m. on Monday, March 10, a gondola carrying eight people fell to the ground at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden in British Columbia.
"Based on preliminary findings, a lift hanger broke while this carrier was leaving the bottom station, causing it to fall approximately one meter to the ground. Our patrol team and first responders were rapidly dispatched on scene," says the resort in a statement.
No one was seriously injured, but all remaining passengers had to be evacuated for safety reasons. The resort closed for the remainder of the day and the gondola remains closed while the incident is under investigation.
That same day, a skier fell from the Triple Chair at Montana's Red Mountain Lodge Ski Resort. The resort has been scant on details, saying only that "a guest was injured as the result of a chair lift incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the guest and his friends and family." However, local news reports say the area was experiencing extremely high winds on that day. The Triple Chair remains closed.
Last month, a skier was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after the chairlift he was riding at Attitash Mountain Resort in New Hampshire detached and fell 20 feet to the ground. Parent company Vail Resorts hasn't released any further details on that incident.
Despite the recent spate of accidents, lift and gondola malfunctions remain relatively rare and ski lifts in the US are subject to regular inspections per the Tramway Board regulation. To protect yourself from user error-related injuries, read our articles on skiing safety and riding a chairlift.
