Authorities are investigating the cause of a structural crack in a gondola lift at Winter Park Resort on Saturday that led to the dramatic evacuation of over 170 skiers and snowboarders, The Associated Press reports.
The lift, located around 70 miles west of Denver, automatically shut down after detecting the issue around midday, according to resort spokesperson Jen Miller.
The incident occurred at the start of the busy holiday ski season, forcing an hours-long rescue operation. Ski patrollers worked diligently to access each gondola cabin from above, lowering passengers’ equipment to the ground. They then used a specialized rope system with a seat to safely lower all 174 stranded passengers to the ground, a process that took around five hours to complete.
Despite the alarming situation, no injuries were reported during the extensive rescue.
Miller confirmed that crews were working to replace the cracked section of the lift on Sunday, while state regulators and the lift’s manufacturer were cooperating with resort officials in an investigation to determine the cause of the failure.
