Five skiers were injured when two ski lift chairs apparently collided at a resort near Lake Tahoe on Monday.

The chairlifts apparently collided with one another on the Comet Express chairlift at Heavenly Valley Ski Resort, based on a photograph of the incident posted online. The image showed rescue staff in red jackets gathered at the bottom of the elevator, with the 2 chairs sitting next to one another near one in every of the elevator's poles.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District crews responded to the incident shortly after 10 a.m. Monday, said Michelle Turner, public information officer for the fireplace protection district.

The incident occurred near Stagecoach Lodge and the response included two fire engines and three ambulances, Turner said.

an eyewitness told CNN That's when he was waiting in line for a chairlift when he heard someone scream, “Oh my God!” Travis Faanes told the news outlet that when he turned around, he saw people falling and hitting the bottom.

“The chair slid back into the chair behind it with people on it,” Faanes told CNN. “The people in the front seat fell off.”

The five patients were transported to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, Tuner added. The skiers' health and whether or not they live in the realm or were visiting weren’t disclosed.

Heavenly Mountain Resort confirmed there was an “incident” on the Comet Express chairlift on Monday, but didn’t provide further details.

“The safety of our guests is our top priority and the resort is investigating the incident,” Cole Zimmerman, communications manager for Heavenly Mountain Resort, said in a press release.

Turner added that the fireplace district is capable of proceed coverage of its district because of help from neighboring districts.

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Five skiers were transported to the hospital Monday after an “incident” on a chairlift at Heavenly Ski Resort Lake Tahoesaid Bryce Cranch, deputy chief of the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District.

The condition of the patients shouldn’t be yet known.

The incident happened around 10 a.m. local time and the fireplace department said it responded with two fire engines and three ambulances.

Photos taken by a skier and shared with CNN show the aftermath of a collision between two chairs.

Travis Faanes told CNN that he was standing in line for the Dipper Express chairlift when he heard someone shout “Oh my God!”

He said as he turned to his right he saw people falling and hitting the bottom.

“The chair slid back into the chair behind it with the people on it,” Faanes said. “The people in the front seat fell off.”

He added that things might have been worse.

“She [are] Luckily that happened right at the start of the lift,” he said.

Brett Federico told CNN that he arrived there immediately after the incident.

Federico said he saw 4 sleds taking people down the mountain after the incident and he saw one in every of the victims riding by with oxygen.

“It wasn’t good at all,” Federico said. “A broken chair has always been a nightmare for me, and witnessing this is even worse.”

The resort is “investigating” the incident and guest safety is “top priority,” communications manager Cole Zimmerman told CNN.

Originally published: December 23, 2024 at 5:15 pm PST

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