WHITEFISH — Officials at Whitefish Mountain Resort evacuated Chair 1 on Friday morning due to a mechanical issue.
Chair 1 initially stopped working just before 10 a.m. While staff were able to get the lift spinning briefly, it eventually stopped again. An emergency rope and harness rescue operation began around 11:30 a.m.
WATCH OUR COVERAGE BELOW:
About 150 to 200 guests were safely evacuated by 1:47 p.m., according to the Whitefish Mountain Resort snow report.
Chairs 8 and 11 were temporarily shut down so all patrollers could assist with the evacuation. Those lifts reopened around 2:30 p.m.
In all, over 40 employees from patrollers to ski instructors helped in the evacuation process.
"We know this is not how anyone hopes to spend their time on the mountain, and we sincerely apologize to all our guests. We know this was not just an inconvenience but a challenging experience for many of those aboard Chair 1 during this incident," Whitefish Mountain Resort President Nick Polumbus said. "We don't take these incidents lightly, and we appreciate the patience and understanding that many of our guests expressed to us throughout the day."
Chair 1 will remain closed until further notice while the resort addresses the issue.
Whitefish Mountain Resort is asking guests who were directly involved in the evacuation to visit or call the base lodge to receive free lift tickets for future use. Pass holders involved were given tickets for friends or family.
