Colorado Ski Tragedies: Inside the Chairlift Accidents That Shocked Vail and Keystone

For those afraid of heights, riding a chairlift to the top of a ski mountain can be a nerve-racking experience. While accidents are rare, they do happen, and two incidents at two Colorado ski resorts involving chairlifts tragically claimed six lives, just short of a decade apart.

Colorado Chairlift Accident: 1976 Vail Gondola Crash

The first accident that took place at Vail Ski Resort happened on March 26, 1976, when two of the cabins that made up the Vail gondola derailed after a cable became snagged on a support tower.

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After snagging on the support tower, the first car then slammed into the tower before falling to the ground, and then another car did the same thing. Unfortunately, this accident claimed four lives, and an additional eight people were injured.

The incident was described by ski patrolman Dave Stanish as “a gory mess.”

Colorado Chairlift Accident: 1985 Keystone Teller Lift Crash

Roughly nine years after the tragic accident in Vail, tragedy struck again, this time at Keystone Resort. On December 14, 1985, a bullwheel on the Teller ski lift, which was installed the prior year, disconnected from the gears.

Unfortunately, this malfunction resulted in numerous people being flung to the ground below, with two people succumbing to their injuries, while an additional 47 were injured.

The accident was blamed on faulty welding, and the company responsible, Yan, paid injured skiers roughly seven million dollars in a settlement.

Learn more about the Vail gondola crash, including statements from witnesses, here, and click here to learn more about the Keystone chairlift crash that took place roughly nine years later.