174 People Stranded on Colorado Gondola Lift

23rd December 2024

The incident happened in Winter Park as the lift stopped after a crack was detected in the the lift structure while people were in the gondolas.

The rescue operation took around five hours with people lowered down by ropes.

No-one was injured.

Ski patrol staff entered each gondola from above and then lowered people’s equipment to the ground before using a rope equipped with a seat to lower passengers.

“It’s a bummer for sure,” said resort spokesperson, Jen Miller, to local media.

“But malfunctions do happen and our teams are trained. It’s not an overnight fix. We’re not sure how long it’s going to take to fix it.”

Winter Park, Colorado. Image © PlanetSKI.