California/Nevada — It’s been a tough couple of days for lifts in North America. The gondola incident at Winter Park drew lots of headlines, but the new Heaven’s Gate chairlift at Sugarbush also had a lengthy stoppage after opening for the first time. Perhaps the most climatic event over the past few days occurred on the border of Nevada and California.
Around 10 a.m. today., two chairs collided with each other on the Comet Express at Heavenly. One of the chairs slid backward, resulting in a collision with another loaded chair. This collision resulted in guests falling to the ground. Five individuals were taken to Reno’s Renown Regional Medical Center. The status of those taken to the hospital is uncertain.
Vail Resorts spokesperson Cole Zimmerman issued the following statement to news outlets regarding the incident:
Heavenly Mountain Resort can confirm an incident occurred on its Comet Express chairlift today, Monday, December 23, 2024. The safety of our guests is our top priority and the resort is investigating the incident.
The Comet Express was installed back in 1988. The detachable quad chairlift services intermediate and advanced terrain. While it’s not an essential chairlift for Heavenly, this is a crunch point on the mountain, so it could create longer lines for the Dipper Express if Comet is closed for an extended period. Based on its age and this incident, it’s probably a good time for a replacement.
Image Credits: u/xamfed, Heavenly Ski Resort
