Strong winds halted nearly 120 skiers' plans at Pats Peak Ski resort in Henniker on Monday.
Around 2 p.m. on Monday, the parks’ Peak Triple chair lift at tower eight derailed due to strong winds. Across the state, gusts reached 40 to 60 mph the day of the incident. The Peak Triple chair is currently "on hold" while the park is operating with all trails and slopes open.
Lori Rowell, director of marketing and sales for Pats Peak, said that it took about an hour and a half to rescue everyone with the help of the Henniker Fire and Rescue team along with trained park staff. No one was reported injured.
This is the third chair lift incident in the state this winter season.
Earlier this month, one person was injured after their lift chair fell 20 feet to the ground at Attitash Mountain, a Bartlett ski areas owned by Vail Resorts. The state is investigating that incident.
A few days later, more than 60 people were evacuated from a lift at Cannon Mountain in Franconia, when a bolt failed. Guests were lowered from their ski chairs by rope.
The state Department of Safety told NHPR that the occurrence of so many incidents involving chair lifts is unusual and they do not appear to be related.
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These articles are being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.
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