Video shows skiers being lowered from a chair lift at Pat’s Peak that — the third New Hampshire ski lift incident this month. The resort’s general manager notes that the team trains for such incidents, but this is the first time a lift was stopped by the wind.
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A ski lift malfunctioned at Pats Peak Ski Area in Henniker, New Hampshire, on Monday, resulting in 120 people having to be evacuated.
Pats Peak said in a statement that around 2 p.m., a "deropement" occurred on Tower 8 of the Peak Triple chairlift. They said Mountain Operations and Ski Patorl responded and were able to safely evacuate 120 guests from the lift.
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The evacuation process took about 90 minutes, Pats Peak said, and no one was injured. Video showed skiers being lowered by rope.
"Our staff is highly trained in life evacuations and worked closely with Henniker Fire and Rescue to ensure a smooth operation," they said.
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Pats Peak General Manager Kris Blomback told NBC10 Boston, "We train for this and we train and we train and we train for issues like this," and noted the lifts' "incredible safety record" — it passed an inspection less than a month ago.
Monday's incident was caused by wind gusts, not a mechanical malfunction, according to a investigation by the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Passenger Tramway Safety Board.
Henniker Fire Chief Jim Morse had previously told The Boston Globe the incident was likely caused by the wind. A high wind warning was in effect on Monday, with wins gusts upwards of 50 mph.
"I've been here for 34 years, and we've done a couple of lift evacuations. This is the first wind-related issue at Pats Peak in our 64-year history," Blomback said.
People who were on the ski lift when it got stuck got a full refund and a complementary hot cocoa.
This is just the latest in a series of ski lift malfunctions in New Hampshire this month.
On Feb. 2, a man was injured at Attitash Mountain Resort when the chair he was on detached from the chairlift and fell to the ground. The man was hospitalized but later released.
The incident was believed to have been caused by a mechanical failure.
Three days later, 64 people had to be evacuated by rope from a malfunctioning ski lift at Cannon Mountain. No injuries were reported.
Rich Finnegan was one of the people who had to be lowered at Cannon, and he said coming down was a matter of trusting first responders.
"When you're stuck up there on the lift for one to two hours in close to zero-degree temperatures and the wind is whipping, it's brutal," he told NBC10 Boston Tuesday.
New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte said following the second incident that her office would work with state and industry partners "to ensure skiers can safely enjoy the season."
