Woman Thought to be Missing Was Stuck in a Gondola Overnight!

[floatingyardsale]

From one of the news reports, I think the timeline was this. She asks if she and her boyfriend can download right at closing; somehow, he gets on the gondola shortly after but she doesn't (I'm assuming one or the other is in the lodge or something); he gets on and goes down, presumably thinking she's already headed down; she waits a while waiting for him and goes down, and it stops with her on it.

Clearly a screw-up.

 

[TNtoTaos]

There was a movie about someone getting stranded on a lift and they were eaten by wolves...I think. I ski with a whistle for safety reasons.

I started wearing a loud whistle, similar to one I wear when kayaking, this season. I often ski with folks who ski faster than I do (not naming any names ), and figured if they lost sight of me and I went down I wanted to be able to communicate that I had a problem.

 

[floridakeysskibum]

There was a movie about someone getting stranded on a lift and they were eaten by wolves...I think. I ski with a whistle for safety reasons.

Yea that was a creepy movie

 

[KathrynC]

The lifts close at 4pm there. Technically the gondola does, too, but I assume it usually stays open a little later to get people down to the village. Sounds like this poor woman got a bit lost or took a long time coming down. No idea what their policy is for stragglers.

I can think of a lot of scenarios where someone might be very late getting to the gondola and miss the last run down.

What I can't imagine is how the staff at the top station allowed someone to board but then failed to alert staff at the bottom station that someone was on their way down. If you've allowed someone to board, you have a duty of care to make sure they make it down.

If the top station is unmanned, there should be a mechanism to prevent this - locking the doors so they don't automatically open in the loading area after a certain time, or an alert prompted by an automated pass check or something!

 

[Jilly]

CNN has an interview with her.

CNN

 

[Christy]

What I can't imagine is how the staff at the top station allowed someone to board but then failed to alert staff at the bottom station that someone was on their way down. If you've allowed someone to board, you have a duty of care to make sure they make it down.

Maybe it's like when TSA accidentally allows guns and other forbidden items through. When it's a repetitious job, and especially a minimum wage one, it's not shocking to me that mistakes happen.

I suppose there's technologies that would help (like when you are stuck in an elevator? Or a flight attendant call button?) but whether a ski resort would invest in those, or provide something that can be abused (like an alarm, but think of all the people pulling the emergency stop buttons on NYC subways these days...)...who knows.

I realize that there are many spots in ski areas that don't have cell service, but I bet nearly all do from a gondola down to the base, so bringing a phone seems prudent. Could ski patrol hear a whistler while they are skiing down under you?

 

[Cantabrigienne]

I can think of a lot of scenarios where someone might be very late getting to the gondola and miss the last run down.

What I can't imagine is how the staff at the top station allowed someone to board but then failed to alert staff at the bottom station that someone was on their way down. If you've allowed someone to board, you have a duty of care to make sure they make it down.

If the top station is unmanned, there should be a mechanism to prevent this - locking the doors so they don't automatically open in the loading area after a certain time, or an alert prompted by an automated pass check or something!

^^^^This. I met a local couple in Whistler who got stranded in the summer, but entirely through their own fault. They hiked/ran the trails up a bit late in the afternoon and it was after official gondola operating hours when they arrived at the top (so post 5pm), didn't see any staff around and just waltzed onto the gondola since, hey, it was running....and then were stuck overnight, in running shorts & tank tops + no phone.

But it's not like staff directed them onto the gondola, like this poor snowboarder!!!

 

[echo_VT]

I can’t fathom how this could happen!

 

[KathrynC]

Maybe it's like when TSA accidentally allows guns and other forbidden items through. When it's a repetitious job, and especially a minimum wage one, it's not shocking to me that mistakes happen.

For day to day operations, I would agree. However, it sounds like someone directed this person to the gondola after passenger operating hours were technically over. This sounds like something that is outside of the ordinary routine.

I feel like:
- There should be a process to ensure that the last passengers boarding before the gondola closes get to the bottom
- If the gondola is running out of hours for operations purposes, there should be a physical barrier of some kind preventing passengers from boarding
- If a passenger is allowed to board out of hours for any reason, there needs to be a process to ensure that all operational staff are aware of this

I don't think "mistakes happen" is really acceptable here. If it had been a particularly cold night, this could have easily ended with a fatality.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

@Christy I suspect that unless there is a big storm happening, patrol would likely hear that whistle if they do a last sweep after all lifts are closed. We can always hear the one avalanche barking that rides the last gondola down while his/her handler skis down. I have had many students look up in confusion at the sound as I explain why a dog is downloading by itself.

I have seen a restaurant worker walk down from almost the top of a mountain as they accidentally left him up there after lifts closed. I am not sure why he felt the need to get home that night, but he was only wearing leather shoes and black pants and a vest over his white shirt. This was over 45 years ago at very high elevation in the Alborz mountains of Iran.

 

[Jilly]

There is a language barrier here too. So did she understand what was happening.

 

[Chuyi]

Somehow the one person on the whole mountain without a cell phone . Sounds like a setup to get on TV/media

 

[snoWYmonkey]

Somehow the one person on the whole mountain without a cell phone . Sounds like a setup to get on TV/media

I think you are right to question motivation and situation. I also know that I love leaving mine at home or in the car when not working on the mountain. I consciously make the decision though, knowing I can't reach patrol, I can't reach friends or my partner. But it is liberating and reminds me of being a kid before the days of cell phones.

 

[Sheena]

Somehow the one person on the whole mountain without a cell phone . Sounds like a setup to get on TV/media

I had the same thoughts. The story seems vague, that an employee directed her there....not clear if she was near the gondola or if someone just mentioned she try that, and she just went there saw it running and got on

As far as the cell phone if she is on vacation visiting from abroad she may not have a phone plan that works here.

 

[KathrynC]

As far as the cell phone if she is on vacation visiting from abroad she may not have a phone plan that works here.

Also, my battery drains super fast in the cold. It's not unusual for my phone to give up the ghost in the early afternoon on a cold ski day... I don't think we can make any assumptions based on the lack of a phone.

 

[santacruz skier]

I had the same thoughts. The story seems vague, that an employee directed her there....not clear if she was near the gondola or if someone just mentioned she try that, and she just went there saw it running and got on

As far as the cell phone if she is on vacation visiting from abroad she may not have a phone plan that works here.

So you have to walk up several metal stairs and inside a little covered area to access the gondola. I can’t imagine it shut down at 4. I’ve skied many afternoons at Heavenly and the gondola does not shut down at 4. There’s usually a huge line. It must have been much later.

 

[diymom]

I consciously make the decision though, knowing I can't reach patrol, I can't reach friends or my partner. But it is liberating and reminds me of being a kid before the days of cell phones.

I agree that it is nice to not feel tethered at times. But maybe for safety compromise by putting it on do not disturb or even powering down so you still have it if you need it.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

@diymom I totally agree and it only happens every few years, mostly on accident...lol, or then again every single time I am in a zone with no cell phone reception at all, which happens twice on my daily drive to work and town and in most of the places I mountain bike or nordic ski or hike. The birthday wish is for an in reach device this year. We have an old one we never use, but as I go for longer days solo with my dog, I would feel much better with one. Skiing in bounds on groomers and open off piste popular runs I don't worry too much about my own safety and know I could provide assistance until the arrival of patrol