The Harrowing Night for Woman Trapped in Ski Resort Gondola
A woman’s ski trip turned into a nightmare when she found herself trapped overnight in a gondola at a ski resort in Lake Tahoe, California. Mónica Laso, who had planned a ski trip with her friends, never imagined that she would spend a night hanging in a gondola, she told CNN affiliate KCRA in an interview.
According to Laso, she became too tired to continue down the hill and approached a worker who guided her to the gondola. However, the gondola stopped around 5:00 p.m., just two minutes after she boarded, leaving her stranded without a phone or any way to communicate her situation.
Laso’s friends reported her missing after being unable to contact her, and it wasn’t until the Heavenly Mountain Resort gondola started operating again Friday morning that crews realized she had been on it overnight.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office asked South Lake Tahoe firefighters for help when they found her, fire and rescue spokesperson Kim George told CNN. “She was evaluated and refused transportation – we always recommend transportation with every patient,” George added.
“The safety and well-being of our guests is our top priority at Heavenly Mountain Resort. We will investigate this situation with the utmost seriousness,” Tom Fortune, vice president and chief operating officer of Heavenly Mountain Resort, told CNN in a statement.
CNN has reached out to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office for more information about the incident. The incident has raised concerns about the safety and emergency response protocols at the resort, leaving many questioning how such a mishap could have occurred.
It remains to be seen what action the resort will take in response to this incident, but it is clear that Laso’s harrowing experience will raise important questions about guest safety and emergency protocols at ski resorts.