5 skiers injured in chair lift incident at Heavenly resort in Tahoe

Five skiers were injured when two ski-lift chairs apparently collided at a resort near Lake Tahoe Monday.

The lift chairs seemingly collided with one another on the Comet Express Chairlift at Heavenly Valley Ski Resort, according to a photo of the incident posted online. The image showed emergency personnel in red jackets gathered at the base of the lift, with the two chairs sitting together near one of the lift’s poles.

Crews from the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District responded to the incident shortly after 10 a.m. Monday, said Michelle Turner, public information officer for the fire district.

The incident occurred near Stagecoach Lodge, and the response included two fire engines and three rescue ambulances, Turner said.

One eyewitness told CNN that was he waiting in line for a chairlift when he heard someone yell, “Oh my God!” Travis Faanes told the news outlet that he turned, he saw people fall and hit the ground.

“The chair slid backwards with people on it into the chair behind it,” Faanes told CNN. “The people in the front chair fell off.”

The five patients were transported to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, Tuner added. The skiers’ medical conditions and whether they live in the area or were visiting was not released.

The Heavenly Mountain Resort confirmed that there was an “incident” on the Comet Express chairlift Monday but did not provide further details.

“The safety of our guests is our top priority and the resort is investigating the incident,” Cole Zimmerman, communications manager for Heavenly Mountain Resort, said in a statement.

Turner added that the fire protection district was able to continue coverage of its district thanks to help from neighboring districts.