A day out on the slopes in Colorado took a turn for the worse when a gondola malfunction left 174 skiers and snowboarders needing rescue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The incident occurred at Winter Park Resort around 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, according to the resort’s spokesperson, Jen Miller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Evacuations began around 1 p.m. and the majority of parkgoers who were affected were safely evacuated by 5 p.m.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The remaining “10% or so” took a bit longer due to darkness, according to Miller, who said everyone was safely evacuated by 6 p.m. Saturday evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The evacuations were completed by the resort’s internal ski patrol staff who are trained for emergency ski lift and gondola rescues each year, according to Miller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “A gondola is an enclosed ski lift,” she said. “They’re cabins so you get on without skis, walk on, carry your skis and put your skis on at the top.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n All guests trapped on the gondola were given a $10 voucher and two lift passes for this year or next year, Miller said.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Miller noted that the part of the gondola that had malfunctioned was removed and a new part was being installed Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Winter Park Resort staff were automatically alerted to the malfunction, according to Miller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “It stopped as it was designed to. There were no passengers in the gondola that needed to call anyone. It was an automatic alert to us,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n