WINTER PARK, Colo. — Authorities are actively investigating the cause of a crack in a ski lift at Winter Park Resort that led to the evacuation of over 170 skiers and snowboarders over the weekend.
The gondola lift, located approximately 70 miles west of Denver, automatically stopped after detecting a structural crack just after noon on Saturday. This incident required officials to lower individuals trapped in the gondolas using ropes over a span of about five hours.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported during the evacuation process, which coincided with the start of the busy holiday ski season. Ski patrol teams accessed each gondola from above, successfully retrieved passengers’ equipment, and then lowered all 174 individuals safely to the ground.
In the aftermath, workers began replacing the cracked section of the lift while state regulators and the lift’s manufacturer conducted a thorough investigation into the matter. Notably, 21 other lifts at the resort remained operational during this period.
