A ski lift at a Colorado resort broke down Saturday afternoon, stranding 174 skiers and snowboarders for hours.
The Gondola lift at Winter Park Resort stopped when a crack in its system was discovered shortly after noon, said resort representative Jane Miller.
Every passenger in the elevator was lowered by ropes, Miller said. The process took about five hours, leaving some riders stuck in the air for most of the day.
Ski patrol approached the cabin of each suspended Gondola from above and lowered the passengers’ equipment to the ground before using a rope attached to each seat to lower everyone safely back to the ground, Miller said.
On Sunday, workers were starting the work of replacing the broken part of the lift. Miller said state regulators and the lift’s manufacturer are part of an ongoing investigation with resort officials to determine what caused the crack.
The resort, at the peak of its holiday season, remains open and still has 21 other lifts in operation.
Winter Park Resort is just 65 miles from Denver and is one of 28 ski resorts in the state. Colorado State website,
with post wires
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