The Golden Star
A gondola cabin at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort fell to the ground while carrying passengers Monday morning, a release from the resort said. The incident occurred at 9:20 a.m. at the base terminal of Golden Eagle express with first responders immediately dispatched to unload the passengers and the resort closed for the rest of the day.
About nine inches of snow fell in the 24 hours prior, making for a busy morning at the resort. The cabin fell just after it had left the terminal as a hanger arm snapped. Fortunately, having fallen from a relatively short height — roughly 10 feet, according to CNN – the accident could have been catastrophic but no major injuries have been reported. Passengers in other cabins, however, were trapped while maintenance crews addressed the mechanical failure.
“A full inspection has been initiated to determine and analyze root causes. Teams from the manufacturer and relevant authorities have been called in to further assist. No lifts will be open to the public today, the resort will be closed for the remainder of the day. Please note, Golden Eagle Express gondola will remain closed until further notice,” a statement said.
Several videos and images have made their way onto social media since Monday morning, showing the fallen gondola laying on its side with resort staff and bystanders appearing to help unload its passengers.
“Patrol responded right away and some bystander called 911,” a witness told the CBC. “The doors came ajar in the fall but nobody could get out of the downed cabin. When my son and I left the area about five minutes later, the occupants were still trapped inside.”
According to The Calgary Herald, a power failure disabled the same lift in 2016. That incident trapped 75 people inside gondola cabins from about 3 p.m. until 9 p.m. while responders worked to evacuate them.
