Officials are investigating the cause of a crack in a Colorado ski lift that led to the evacuation of more than 170 skiers and snowboarders. The incident occurred at Winter Park Resort, located approximately 70 miles west of Denver. The gondola lift came to a halt after detecting a crack in a structural component around noon on Saturday.
Fortunately, there were no injuries reported during the evacuation process, which lasted about five hours. Ski patrollers carefully lowered each of the 174 passengers down to the ground using ropes and seats. Additionally, they retrieved the passengers' equipment from the cabins before the descent.
The resort's spokesperson, Jen Miller, mentioned that workers are currently replacing the damaged section of the lift. State regulators and the lift's manufacturer are collaborating with resort officials to determine the root cause of the crack. Despite this incident, Winter Park Resort still has 21 other lifts operational for visitors to enjoy during the holiday ski season.
