Ski Resort Incident Leaves Five Injured After Chairlift Malfunction at Heavenly Mountain

An unexpected malfunction at Heavenly Mountain Resort, located in Lake Tahoe, led to a serious accident on Monday morning, injuring five people. The troubling event took place around 10 a.m. when two chairs on the resort's Comet Express lift experienced a collision, which was reportedly triggered when one of the chairs slid backwards, resulting in skiers plummeting about 30 feet to the ground covered in snow.

Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene, as confirmed by reports from NBC Bay Area, leading to three ambulances being dispatched to transport the injured individuals to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno. In response to the incident, a spokesperson for Heavenly Ski Resort acknowledged the event in a statement, emphasizing the priority they place on guest safety and announcing that an investigation is underway. Following the accident, the Comet Express chairlift, which is capable of transporting four passengers per chair at a speed of 2,800 people per hour, was closed for the remainder of the day.

In a related incident at the same resort, a woman had spent an entire night stranded on a gondola during freezing temperatures in January, but fortunately, she did not suffer any harm.