A crack appeared in a ski lift at a Colorado resort at noon Saturday, leaving up to 174 skiers and snowboarders stranded for several hours.
Winter Park Resort's gondola lift was shut down shortly after noon when the system detected a crack, said resort representative Jen Miller.
Miller said each elevator passenger was lowered down using a rope. The process took about five hours, leaving some riders stuck in the air for much of the day.
Ski patrol reached each gondola's suspended cabin, lowered the passengers' equipment to the ground, and then used ropes attached to each seat to safely return everyone to the ground, Miller said. It is said that
On Sunday, workers began replacing the broken part of the elevator. Miller said state regulators and the elevator manufacturer are participating in an ongoing investigation with resort officials to determine the cause of the cracks.
The resort remains open during the height of the holiday season, with 21 other elevators still in operation.
Winter Park Resort is located just 105 miles from Denver and is one of 28 ski resorts in the state. Colorado State Website.
with post wire
