Heavenly Lake Tahoe reopens lift following malfunction that led to multiple injuries
Heavenly Lake Tahoe has reopened a lift that had been closed since multiple skiers were injured after a malfunction last week.
The Comet Express, on the Nevada side of the 5,000-acre resort, had been closed since Dec. 23 when five people were taken to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno after the lift malfunctioned. Radio dispatches indicated they may have fallen 30 feet off the lift.
Heavenly posted on X at 8:42 a.m. Monday: “Comet Express is open and operating normally following a thorough inspection.”
A resort spokesperson said in a statement: “Comet Express is open and operating normally. Safety is our top priority at Heavenly Mountain resort, and we take this incident very seriously. Following a thorough inspection by the Heavenly team and the lift manufacturer, the issue was identified and resolved, and the lift was cleared for operations by the U.S. Forest Service.”
Comet Express is located at one of the most high traffic areas on the east side of Heavenly Lake Tahoe, sitting next to Dipper Express and East Peak Lodge. The lift was manufactured by Doppelmayr, an Austrian company that specializes in people movers and ropeways. Comet Express can handle some 2,800 riders an hour and lasts roughly four minutes during normal operation.
Heavenly as of Tuesday had 20 of 27 lifts open and 74% of its terrain open, according to its website.
