‘Sea to sky’ gondola ride above a Canadian forest is ‘deliberately sabotaged by an attacker who cut the cables’ sending 30 cars crashing to the ground
- The attraction in Squamish was badly damaged in the early hours of Saturday
- Employees noticed ‘a down cable and saw several gondola cars on the ground’
- No one was injured but the ride will remain closed for the foreseeable future
- Inspector Kara Triance said the ‘deliberate act’ could have been ‘catastrophic’
- Pictures show some of the cars on their sides in the forest following the crash
A gondola ride may have been deliberately sabotaged by an attacker who cut its cables bringing up to 30 cars crashing to the ground, police in Canada say.
The Sea to Sky in Squamish was left badly damaged in the early hours of Saturday morning after law enforcement say employees noticed ‘a down cable and saw several gondola cars on the ground’.
Authorities say no one was injured in the incident but the attraction, which opened in 2014 and carries up to 3,000 people a day to the summit 885 meters above sea level, will remain closed for the foreseeable future.
Inspector Kara Triance told CBC the incident could have been ‘catastrophic’, adding: ‘We believe the cables were cut and this was a deliberate act of vandalism. At this time, it’s a crime scene.
‘[The experts] know the difference between a compromised cable and something that would be cut deliberately.
‘[The perpetrator] put themselves in extreme jeopardy, not only the nature of the action of climbing up that pole and being in that position but also the velocity at which the cable would unravel at that point.’
The attraction in Squamish was badly damaged in the early hours of Saturday. Police say the ride may have deliberately sabotaged by an attacker who cut its cables
Authorities say no one was injured in the incident but the attraction will remain closed
Kirby Brown, Sea to Sky’s general manager, added: ‘There was a catastrophic failure of the haul rope.
‘It’s just an incredibly unusual thing to happen. We just did our maintenance on the line very recently and it was a big, thick, beautiful healthy rope.’
Pictures show some of the cars on their sides in the forest with the 55 millimeter diameter cable made up of six strands slack following the crash.
A spokesman for the attraction to The Vancouver Sun: ‘There’s 31 cars on the line and we suspect that all of the cars are on the ground. They’re not elevated, but that does not mean 31 cars have been damaged. We haven’t been able to go up to the very top.’
There have been two inspections to the cars and the two-kilometre long cable, which can carry up to eight people, so far in 2019 and no significant issues were raised.
Squamish RCMP Const. Ashley MacKay confirmed mounties were called around 8:45 a.m. after a worker at the summit heard a loud bang and found the cable broken.
Hikers in the area are also reported to have head metal scraping.
The attraction tweeted: ‘At approx 4:30am we received an alert that the haul rope for Sea to Sky Gondola had fallen and the lift inoperable.
‘No guests or staff were on the gondola and no injuries were sustained in the incident. The gondola is currently closed. More updates as they become available.’
Authorities confirmed mounties were called around 8:45 a.m. after a worker heard a loud bang and found the cable broken. Hikers in the area are also reported to have head metal scraping
There have been two inspections to the cars and the two-kilometre long cable, which can carry up to eight people, so far in 2019 and no significant issues were raised, officials say
The attraction tweeted following the incident to say: ‘At approx 4:30am we received an alert that the haul rope for Sea to Sky Gondola had fallen and the lift inoperable’
A statement from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Saturday said: ‘This morning at approximately 7:00am, employees of the Sea to Sky Gondola noticed a down cable and saw several gondola cars on the ground. After initial assessment by the Sea to Sky Gondola the RCMP were called.
‘The RCMP have been on scene since just after 8:45 am and are working to determine the cause of the incident. Until such time as a cause has been definitely identified, Police are treating this as criminal in nature and have not ruled out that this was a deliberate act.
‘We recognize the potential of what could have been and are thankful that no one was injured. We are currently assessing the damage but our preliminary assessment suggests that a cable was cut.
‘At this time, the RCMP is asking for anyone with information or anyone that was in the area at the time to please come forward. That includes hikers, climbers and campers who were in the areas of the Sea to Sky Gondola as well as the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park between 4:00 am and 9:00 am this morning.’