
Skiers Rescued By Rope On New York Ski Lift
A routine ski night turned into a rescue mission at Bristol Mountain in South Bristol, N.Y., when a mechanical failure on the Comet Express chairlift left skiers suspended 25 to 40 feet in the air.
The incident occurred Saturday night when ski patrol and staff received a text alert about the malfunction on the Comet Express. Initially, an auxiliary diesel engine was used to unload some of the guests. However, they transitioned to rope evacuations while mechanics worked to identify the issue.
A total of six chairs were evacuated using ropes, while 15 chairs were later unloaded with the help of the auxiliary power source. Snowmobiles shuttled guests to their destinations once they were safely off the lift.
Bristol Mountain Ski Patrol Safely Evacuates Guests by Rope
Using a slingshot, the ski patrol sent a thin rope over the lift cable, which was then used to guide a thicker rope to those on the chairs.
The thicker rope was equipped with pulleys and a T-bar system. Guests wore harnesses and were wrapped in a blue safety rope that went over their shoulders and under their arms. Once secured, they were gently lowered to the ground by the ski patrol.
Read More: How You Can See Castles Made Of Ice In New York
Bristol Mountain’s ski patrol trains for lift evacuations twice a year so that their team is always ready for emergencies.
Skiers were stranded for about an hour but, no injuries were reported during the evacuation, and guests praised the team for their professionalism. Check out the video of the rescue.
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