4 people rescued from Grouse Mountain after tram service halted for hours

Witnesses say the Skyride gondola on Grouse Mountain stopped working on June 30, 2024, stranding many hikers. (X/@ManjotPB)

Officials on Grouse Mountain confirmed a “system fault” warning prompted crews to shut down its Skyride on Sunday afternoon.

Several hundred people were on the top of the mountain when the tramway came to a halt around 1:30 p.m..

“Typically these things are resolved quickly, but it it took a while to identify what the issue was,” said Adam Rootman, director of marketing and communications.

He told CTV News that employees tried to make guests as comfortable as possible by offering free food and beverages, but many people chose to climb down instead.

It is a challenging hike, even on the way down, and is not recommended for people who are not used to strenuous outdoor activity.

Some guests weren’t able to make it all the way down.

Firefighters were called just before 6 p.m. to help someone with an injured ankle, but when they arrived, more people needed assistance.

“We found a fourth person on the way down, and this person was not just tired, but he had his vital signs that were falling and getting worse,” said Asst. Chief Dwayne Derban of District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services.

“I don't think he ever got to that point, we never lost a pulse, but there was some worry,” he said.

North Shore Rescue also provided assistance, and everyone was helped off the trail safely.

On Monday, an attendant was posted at the parking lot entrance warning people about the closure. Cars could be seen lined up along Nancy Greene Way, while some drivers made U-turns and turned back around.

There was also someone stationed at the bottom of the Grouse Grind, which remained open Monday, informing climbers that the tram was not operating, and that they would have to hike down.

The chalet at the top is also closed, and as such, there is no food or water available at the summit.

Mechanics have identified what caused the warning, and Grouse Mountain hopes to have the tram up and operating as soon as possible, but Rootman said at the moment “it’s day to day.”

“On behalf of Grouse Mountain, I just want to apologize to everybody that was on the mountain top,” said Rootman.

“Safety is our number one concern, so we needed to not operate the tram under these conditions.”

Grouse Mountain recently decommissioned one of its two Skyride trams, and is in the process of replacing the remaining one with a new “state-of-the-art” lift system, which is expected to enter the testing phase this fall.

The upgraded gondola – which will include 27 eight-person cabins – is expected to open in November.