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More than 100 people evacuated from a chairlift at Pats Peak Ski Area
It is the third chairlift incident in New Hampshire this month.
More than 100 people were evacuated after a chairlift malfunction at Pats Peak Ski Area in Henniker, N.H. on Monday.
“There was a deropement, which means that the rope came off the cable so it needed to get fixed,” Lori Rowell, marketing director for Pats Peak Ski Area, told WMUR.
The incident happened on the resort’s Peak Triple chairlift. There were no injuries, reported the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s office, which announced it is conducting a joint investigation into the matter along with the Passenger Tramway Safety Board.
A tramway inspector responded to the incident and inspected the lift, according to a statement from the office.
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“The investigation has determined the incident was caused by wind gusts and was not mechanical,” officials wrote.
The rescue, which took about 90 minutes, was performed by Pats Peak Ski Patrol and Henniker Fire and Rescue.
Rowell told WMUR that the lifts are routinely checked.
“We do site inspections, we look at them, they log them, they are very, very thorough about making sure our lifts are in the best shape possible,” she said.
New England ski resorts have been grappling with high winds this week, which have caused power outages and closed resorts and lifts across the region.
The Pats Peak incident marks the third chairlift malfunction in the Granite State this month. A man fell 20 feet when his chair dislodged from a lift on Attitash Mountain in Bartlett on Feb. 2. That lift remains closed. After that, 64 passengers were evacuated after a mechanical issue at Cannon Mountain in Franconia on Feb. 5.
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When Boston.com asked skiers and riders if they feel safe on chairlifts after the recent incidents, 55 percent said yes.
Update: Shortly after publishing the piece, Boston.com received a statement about the incident from Rowell:
At approximately 2:00 PM on Monday, February 17, 2025, a deropement occurred on tower 8 of the Peak Triple chairlift. Mountain Operations and Ski Patrol responded promptly, safely evacuating approximately 120 guests from the lift. The evacuation process took about 1.5 hours. Our staff is highly trained in lift evacuations and worked closely with Henniker Fire and Rescue to ensure a smooth operation. There were no injuries.
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