Over 100 people rescued after New Hampshire ski lift malfunctions
More than 100 skiers and snowboarders were rescued after a lift malfunctioned at a resort in New Hampshire, officials said.
About 120 people were stuck when a lift suddenly stalled at approximately 2 p.m. on Monday at Pats Peak in Henniker, the resort said in a statement.
Resortgoers were left dangling in the air for about 90 minutes, waiting in the freezing temperatures and chilling winds for ski patrol and mountain operations to complete the evacuation process, the resort said.
The resort said the lift was stalled due to a "deropement," meaning the rope that runs the lift up the mountain came off the cable, causing the lift to halt. The incident occurred on tower eight of the Peak Triple chairlift that was installed in 2017, according to the resort.
The New Hampshire State Fire Marshal's Office said it investigated the incident and determined the halt was caused by wind gusts and "was not mechanical," the office said Tuesday in a statement.
"It was kind of scary for a few minutes, but when we saw all the people coming to save us, we knew that we were OK," skier Daniel Quilter told Manchester, New Hampshire, ABC affiliate WMUR.
Once ski patrol and the Henniker Fire Department arrived on the scene, officials instructed skiers to tie a rope around themselves so they could be safely lowered to the ground, according to skier Emily Quilter. Even though they had to slowly bring people down from approximately 30 feet in the air, Quilter told WMUR that officials "were very clear on the instructions" and "it was really safe."
"Our staff is highly trained in lift evacuations and worked closely with Henniker Fire and Rescue to ensure a smooth operation," the resort said in its statement.
"The State Fire Marshal's Office is grateful for the collaborative efforts of members of Pats Peak Ski Patrol and Henniker Fire and Rescue, who worked together to safely evacuate all passengers," the fire marshal's office said.
There were no injuries reported, according to the fire marshal's office.
