174 Skiers and Snowboarders Safely Evacuated from Winter Park Resort After Lift Crack on Saturday

Dec 23, 2024, 05:15 PM

A crack in a ski lift at Winter Park Resort in Colorado led to the evacuation of 174 skiers and snowboarders on Saturday. The gondola lift, located about 70 miles west of Denver, automatically stopped just after noon when it detected the crack in a structural piece. Over the course of about five hours, passengers were lowered down by ropes by ski patrollers, who entered each gondola from above, lowered the occupants' equipment, and then assisted them to the ground using a rope equipped with a seat. No injuries were reported during the rescue operation, which occurred at the start of the busy holiday ski season. The resort, which has 21 other lifts, continued to operate while the cracked section of the lift was replaced on Sunday. State regulators and the lift's manufacturer are working with resort officials to investigate the cause of the crack.