More than 170 people have been rescued from a dangling gondola at a Colorado ski resort after a breakdown trapped them for hours.
One elevator at the Winter Park Resort outside Denver shut itself down Saturday afternoon as a safety measure after cracks were discovered in the metal support structure, according to media reports. It then took five hours for rescue teams to bring 174 people to the ground, a resort spokeswoman said. he told KDVR.
Skier Alexei Dmitriev told police: “My wife and I were about to go on the first run, but we stopped. We stopped for about 15 minutes and started thinking that maybe something unusual happened.'' “I called and they said don’t worry and call me back within 20 minutes… Then after a short wait, ski patrol came down and talked to people from the ground to the cabins. It's like saying how many people are on the plane.”
“Everyone was very calm and the ski patrol was calm and professional, making us feel safe,” he added. “It was interesting because he kind of knew what he was doing, but we were a little worried.”
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Stranded gondola passengers are lowered to safety at Colorado's Winter Park Resort on Saturday, Dec. 21.
“I skied a few more after that and of course used a different lift. It was still an okay day, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Dmitriev also told KDVR.
Dmitriev filmed a video showing rescuers lowering themselves into the cabin of the stranded gondola.
“We're going to raise the seats, let everyone sit individually, and slowly bring everyone down,” the man says.
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It took five hours to rescue all passengers from a stalled gondola at Colorado's Winter Park Resort on Saturday. (Alexei Dmitriev)
The footage then shows multiple people, including children, being dropped off to safety.
Winter Park Resort said the elevator remained closed Sunday for repairs and inspections and the gondola manufacturer was on site, according to KDVR.
Skiers seen at Winter Park Resort in Winter Park, Colorado in March 2017. (Andy Cross/Denver Post via Getty Images)
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As of late Sunday, new parts had been installed and testing was underway in preparation for the elevator's reopening, the station added.
