A frightening accident occurred at Kicking Horse Resort near Golden, B.C. when a gondola on the Golden Eagle Express fell to the ground with people inside. The incident happened at 9:20 a.m. and the resort’s patrol team and first responders were quickly dispatched to the scene. Numerous photos posted on social media show a gondola car lying on its side near the base of the lift with a crowd of people gathered around it. Skier Geoff Colenut, who had just arrived for a day of skiing, spoke to a couple of people who were in the gondola when it fell. Fortunately, they only had minor injuries and were in good spirits. Another skier, Ryan Nichols, who was in another gondola further up the mountain, mentioned that rescue crews were called out to help people out of the other gondolas left suspended high above the ski slope. R.C.R. confirmed trained maintenance and mountain safety teams were working to unload the other passengers, and the resort announced it would be closed for the remainder of the day while an inspection is conducted to determine the cause of the accident.
The Kicking Horse website states that each cabin on the gondola can carry up to eight people over a 3,400-meter ride that takes 12 minutes. The resort mentioned that trained maintenance and mountain safety teams were working to unload the other passengers in the other gondolas, and the resort has closed for the remainder of the day for investigation of the accident’s cause. The owners of the ski resort, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, issued a statement on their website about the incident. The ski resort said it would be closed for the remainder of the day while an inspection is conducted to determine the cause of the accident.
The incident triggered a rescue operation to help those stranded in the gondolas. The resort’s patrol team and first responders were quickly dispatched to the scene, and trained maintenance and mountain safety teams were working to unload the passengers from the other gondolas. The resort said the Golden Eagle Express gondola can carry up to eight people over a 3,400-meter ride that takes 12 minutes. In the wake of the accident, the resort announced that it would be closed for the rest of the day, and an inspection is underway to determine what caused the gondola to fall. Fortunately, the individuals in the gondola that fell only suffered minor injuries and were in good spirits.
Skier Geoff Colenut, who was at the resort for a day of skiing, spoke to people who were in the gondola that fell and mentioned that they had only sustained minor injuries and were doing well. Another skier, Ryan Nichols, was in a gondola further up the mountain that had stopped and saw rescue crews aiding stranded passengers. The incident caused a disruption in resort operations, but swift action was taken to deal with the situation and ensure the safety of those involved. The gondola accident at Kicking Horse Resort was a scary event that fortunately did not result in serious injuries, thanks to the quick response of rescue crews and first responders. The closure of the resort for the day allowed for an investigation into the cause of the accident and reinforced the importance of safety measures in the operation of ski resorts.
