HENNIKER, N.H. — Strong wind gusts caused a chairlift malfunction that resulted in more than 100 skiers being evacuated after getting stuck at a popular New Hampshire ski resort on Monday, the state fire marshal said Tuesday.
A joint investigation is underway by the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Passenger Tramway Safety Board after a chairlift malfunction at Pats Peak Ski Resort on Monday, the state Fire Marshal’s Office said in a statement.
The incident is among three reported incidents of chairlift issues at New Hampshire ski resorts this month: at Pats Peak on Monday, at Cannon Mountain on Feb. 5 and at Attitash Mountain Resort on Feb. 1, when a skier was injured after a chairlift he was riding in fell 20 feet.
No injuries were reported in the Pats Peak incident on Monday, the state fire marshal said. More than 100 passengers were evacuated as a result of the chairlift malfunction.
A tramway inspector responded to inspect the lift.
“The investigation has determined the incident was caused by wind gusts and was not mechanical,” the state fire marshal said in a 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 statement said.
The evacuation at Pats Peak occurred nearly two weeks after dozens of people were evacuated from a ski lift at Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire following a mechanical issue on Feb 5, officials said.
Ski patrol and operations personnel at Cannon Mountain in Franconia launched a rope evacuation just before 10:15 a.m. on Feb. 5 after a bolt affixed to a power takeoff shaft failed on the Peabody Express Quad lift, according to Cannon Mountain.
Cannon officials confirmed that 64 passengers on the lift were safely evacuated shortly before 12:30 p.m.
The Peabody Express Quad was closed for the day and mountain operations were reduced with service continuing at Mittersill Double, Tuckerbrook, Eagle Cliff, and Zoomer lifts.
All 64 passengers were safely rescued from the lifts in single-digit temperatures.
“While all chairlifts and equipment at Cannon undergo regular inspection and testing, mechanical issues can occasionally occur,” Cannon said in a statement earlier this month.
That incident at Cannon Mountain came after a chair detached on Feb. 1 at Attitash Mountain Resort in Bartlett, sending a man plummeting 20 feet to the ground below.
Both lift mishaps remain under investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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