A ski gondola at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, B.C., fell to the ground just moments after passengers boarded on Monday. Witness Scott Wilson, who was there with his son, described the scene as shocking. He said the resort was packed with visitors, and watching the gondola drop about three meters was an unbelievable sight. CBC
A gondola cabin at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, B.C., fell to the ground shortly after passengers boarded. The cabin dropped about three meters, causing panic among onlookers.
Scott Wilson, who witnessed the incident, described the moment the gondola fell. "Patrol responded right away, and a bystander called 911. The doors came open during the fall, but no one could get out. When my son and I left about five minutes later, the passengers were still trapped inside," he said.
The resort has not confirmed how many people were in the cabin or if anyone was seriously hurt. However, Technical Safety B.C., which is now investigating, stated that only minor injuries have been reported.
The accident happened at 9:20 a.m. on the Golden Eagle Express gondola. Photos show the cabin lying on its side in the snow. The resort released a statement saying, "Our trained maintenance team is evacuating passengers as per standard procedure. A full inspection is underway to determine the cause."
The Golden Eagle Express gondola can carry up to eight people per cabin. The resort was especially busy on Monday due to fresh snowfall, leading to large crowds and long lines.
Wilson said the moment was surreal. "People took the day off work to ski. The lines were huge. When the cabin fell, I turned to my son and said, 'I can't believe that just happened. Did you see that?'"
Following the incident, the resort shut down for the day. The Golden Eagle Express gondola remains closed until further notice.
Kicking Horse is owned by Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, which also operates several other ski resorts in Canada. In 2023, a gondola accident at Mont-Sainte-Anne in Quebec, another resort owned by the company, was blamed on human error.
Technical Safety B.C. is investigating the cause of the accident. The organization ensures the safe operation of technical systems, including gondolas. "We are working closely with the resort operator. More details will be shared once the investigation is complete," it said in a statement.
