VIDEO and SLIDESHOW: About 80 passengers evacuated from broken Tiehack lift
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A ski patroller climbs a lift tower on the Tiehack lift at Buttermilk to evacuate a skier due to lift mechanical errors.
Jeremy Wallace/The Aspen Times |
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A ski patroller prepares to descend down the lift line to reach the next chair.
Jeremy Wallace/The Aspen Times |
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A ski patroller uses a safety device to descend to the next skier.
Jeremy Wallace/The Aspen Times |
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The skier attaches a harness to themselves and repels down to safety.
Jeremy Wallace/The Aspen Times |
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A skier gets belayed off the chairlift onto the ground below.
Jeremy Wallace/The Aspen Times |
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Tiehack Express lift at Buttermilk stopped functioning due to electrical issues Wednesday around 11 a.m. Ski patrollers from three mountains helped evacuate 80 people from the lift.
Jeremy Wallace/The Aspen Times |
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About 80 people were evacuated off the Tiehack Express chairlift today after the lift broke down, Aspen Skiing Co. said.
David Chazen/Special to The Aspen Times |
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Ski patrollers from all four mountains assisted with the effort. Passengers reportedly were stranded on the lift for some two hours.
David Chazen/Special to The Aspen Times |
Aspen Skiing Co. spokesman Jeff Hanle issued the following statement about the situation around 2:15 p.m.:
“At approximately 11 a.m., the Tiehack Express lift on Buttermilk went offline due to an electrical issue. Lift Maintenance teams responded immediately and have been working to repair the lift and get the passengers unloaded. Unfortunately this repair is taking longer than expected and for the comfort and safety of our guests we decided to evacuate the lift. There are approximately 80 passengers on the lift and ski patrol teams have begun the process of getting the passengers safely to the ground. We have been in constant communication with the passengers and kept them informed on the issues and evacuation process. We ask that everyone please stay clear of the area as we will need space to safely conduct this operation. At the time of the incident, temperatures were in the low 20s, winds were light and skies were partly sunny. We will provide an update with more details after the evacuation has been completed.”
VIDEO: Ryan Gage, of New York City, is evacuated from the Tiehack chairlift Wednesday afternoon.
