Ski Patrol Saves 174 From Winter Park Gondola In Colorado [WATCH]

More than 170 people were rescued from gondolas at Winter Park Resort in Colorado after being stranded for hours on Saturday due to a mechanical malfunction.

The incident occurred at the popular ski destination, located outside of Denver, and prompted an extensive rescue operation to bring passengers safely to the ground.

The trouble began when a crack was detected in a metal support structure of one of the lifts, causing it to automatically shut down for safety reasons.

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Winter Park Resort officials confirmed to KDVR that the shutdown led to 174 individuals being stranded in gondolas.

Over 100 people were trapped at Winter Park Ski Resort in Colorado over the weekend after a crack was spotted on the lift, and the gondolas were temporarily shut down. pic.twitter.com/Ln3QiFTPmE

— AccuWeather (@accuweather) December 23, 2024

The rescue effort, which spanned approximately five hours, involved carefully lowering each person to the ground.

Skier Aleksey Dmitriyev was among those trapped on the lift and recounted his experience to KDVR. “We were going up to do our first run, my wife and I, and we stopped. Stopped for about 15 minutes, and we started kind of thinking, maybe it’s unusual,” Dmitriyev said.

Initially, Dmitriyev contacted the resort’s information line but was told to call back if the delay exceeded 20 minutes.

As time passed, he noticed ski patrol members communicating with people in the gondolas. “We started seeing ski patrol coming down and talking to people from the ground to the cabin, like saying how many of you in the cabin, all that,” Dmitriyev explained.

A crack in a gondola lift at #WinterParkResort in #Colorado led to over 170 skiers being rescued in a five-hour operation. The lift stopped automatically, and ski patrol safely evacuated all passengers with no injuries. Repairs are underway, and investigations have begun. pic.twitter.com/50fIMt2SxS

— Ivan Kircanski (@KircanskiIvan) December 23, 2024

He described the ski patrol as calm and professional during the rescue operation. “Everybody was pretty calm, ski patrol was calm and professional and assured us,” Dmitriyev said. “It was kind of interesting because he kind of knew what he was doing, but we were a little bit concerned.”

Dmitriyev recorded video footage showing a rescuer descending into his gondola cabin to assist.

The rescuer informed passengers of the plan to lower each individual to safety. “We are going to send a seat up, we are each going to get in a seat individually and slowly lower everyone down,” the rescuer can be heard saying in the video.

The footage also captures moments of people, including a child, being safely brought to the ground.

Dmitriyev noted that despite the unexpected ordeal, he and his wife continued skiing using a different lift. “We skied a few runs after that, we used a different lift, of course, and it was still an OK day but once-in-a-lifetime experience,” he said.

Winter Park Resort issued a statement confirming that the lift remained closed on Sunday for repairs and inspections.

The gondola manufacturer was present at the site, and by late Sunday, a new part had been installed, with testing underway to prepare for the lift’s reopening, KDVR reported.

No injuries were reported, and the resort has assured guests that inspections are ongoing to prevent future incidents.

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