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Getting stuck on a chair lift is a punishment worthy of Dante’s inferno. Skiers helplessly dangle for hours on end, with fresh powder tantalizingly close, yet firmly out of reach. Visitors to Vail, Colorado, experienced this chilly hell on Sunday, as CBS News reports.
Vail Resorts also confirmed on Monday that Little Eagle, a beginner lift near the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola, stopped working just before noon on Sunday, leaving 40 guests stuck onboard. Vail Mountain Ski Patrol came to their aid, using ropes to evacuate the trapped riders. All in all, it took 90 minutes for the guests to be evacuated. No injuries were reported.
The specific cause of the issue is unknown, with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies referring to it as simply a “mechanical issue.” Reddit users reported hearing a loud noise and a cable snapping, followed by a father and young son being thrown off a chair, but these accounts were not confirmed by Vail staff.
“We apologize to our skiers and riders who were inconvenienced by this event,” Vail Resorts senior communications specialist Michelle Dallal told CBS News.
She elaborated that the lift will remain closed for the time being, saying, “We place the highest value on the safety of our guests and will resolve the issue before reopening Little Eagle to the public. Until then, the lift will remain closed.”
