Golden, B.C., ski gondola loaded with passengers falls to the ground

A gondola cabin has crashed to the ground at the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, B.C.

Witness Scott Wilson said the cabin fell an estimated three metres only moments after it was loaded with people and departed up the hill.

"Patrol responded right away, and some bystander called 911. The doors came ajar in the fall, but nobody could get out of the downed cabin. When my son and I left the area about five minutes later, the occupants were still trapped inside," he said.

The mountain has not confirmed how many passengers were inside the cabin or if anyone was injured.

However, Technical Safety B.C., which is now investigating the incident, said in an emailed statement that "only minor injuries have been reported."

The incident happened on the Golden Eagle Express at 9:20 a.m. MT. The cabin can be seen in photos lying on its side in the snow. 

"Our trained maintenance team is evacuating the passengers as per standard operating procedure. A full inspection has been initiated to determine and analyze root causes," said a statement on the Kicking Horse Mountain website.

The website says a fully loaded Golden Eagle Express gondola cabin holds eight people.

Wilson said the mountain was busy Monday morning after a dump of fresh powder.

"People took the day off work, and lineups were huge," he said. "At first, it was just shock. I turned to my son, and I was like, 'I can't believe this just happened. Did you see that?'"

A spokesperson for the mountain said the resort is now closed for the day, and the Golden Eagle Express is closed until further notice.

Kicking Horse is owned by Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, which also owns Mont-Sainte-Anne in Quebec, where human error was blamed for a gondola fall in 2023. 

Resorts of the Canadian Rockies also owns Fernie and Kimberley resorts in B.C., Nakiska in Alberta, and Stoneham in Quebec, according to the company's website.

Technical Safety B.C. (TSBC) is a "self-funded organization that oversees the safe installation and operation of technical systems and equipment, including gondolas," according to the TSB statement.

"Our team is working closely with the operator. More details will be available once the investigation is complete," it said.