Ski lift crack sparks emergency rescue of 174 stranded skiers in Colorado
- A gondola malfunction at Winter Park Resort trapped 174 skiers and snowboarders on December 22, 2024.
- The resort's ski patrol successfully evacuated all affected guests by 6 p.m., with no reported injuries.
- The incident has prompted an investigation into the cause of the structural crack in the ski lift.
A significant incident occurred at Winter Park Resort, located approximately 70 miles west of Denver, Colorado, on December 22, 2024. Around 12:15 p.m. local time, over 170 skiers and snowboarders were trapped on a gondola due to a concerning crack detected in the lift's structure. The gondola, designed to automatically halt operation in the event of a malfunction, effectively halted after identifying the issue. The resort's spokesperson, Jen Miller, later confirmed that all guests remained unharmed during the ordeal, although they were stranded for several hours while rescue operations commenced. The evacuation process began around 1 p.m. and was predominantly completed by 5 p.m., with the remaining individuals safely brought down by 6 p.m., although darkness contributed to the extended evacuation time for about 10% of the guests. Ski patrol teams, trained for such emergencies, carefully executed the rescue by accessing each gondola cabin and lowering guests down using ropes equipped with seats. They also assisted in lowering the passengers' ski equipment to the ground. As part of their compensation for the distressing experience, the resort offered all those affected a $10 voucher and two lift passes for the current or following year. Jen Miller elaborated that the malfunctioning component of the gondola was promptly addressed, with plans to replace the affected part by the following day. Winter Park Resort had received an automatic alert indicating the malfunction, signifying that rescue operations were crucially initiated without passengers needing to alert the staff. In addition, Colorado officials launched an investigation into the structural integrity of the ski lift. On Sunday, state regulators collaborated with the lift's manufacturer and the ski resort to thoroughly explore the cause of the crack detected in the lift structure. Despite the incident, Winter Park Resort maintains operations, with 21 other lifts functioning effectively across its premises.