Resort staff at a West Kelowna ski resort where several people were injured in a chairlift accident on Mar. 1 are having to look for summer work early this year.
In a statement released from Crystal Mountain, resort general manager Mike Morin said the investigation into what happened will continue into April and prevent the mountain from reopening.
The resort’s operating licence has been suspended while the Safety Authority investigates the incident, which saw three chairs crash to the ground.
“We might have been able to open for one last weekend at best but the chances of that happening are slim,” said Morin in the release. “Pending the scope of the investigation, it seemed unrealistic to try and rush the process to be open for just a couple of days.”
Four people were injured after a frightening fall, including two ski patrollers, a ski instructor, and a visitor to the resort.
One person was airlifted from the scene while three others were taken to Kelowna General Hospital by ambulance.
Morin told CTV News shortly after the incident that a swinging empty chair on the lift struck one of the towers, which caused the chair and the occupied chairs just in front and behind to plummet to the ground.
While paramedics rushed to treat the injured, other skiers remained stuck on the lift and had to be evacuated by harness.
The B.C. Safety Authority confirmed it fined Crystal Mountain Ski Resort $8,000 in 2013 for not complying with an order relating to its lifts.
“An investigation identified regulated equipment operated in a manner that created an unsafe condition,” the authority told CTV News in a statement. “The duty holder was ordered to submit a training plan in order to promote safe operation of the equipment.”
Crystal Mountain did not follow up, and was the only ski resort fined last year.
All four of the injured have been released from hospital and are recovering at home, according to the release.
