(Mont-Tremblant) One person has died and another is in critical condition after an “unusual” accident involving a panoramic gondola and construction machinery occurred on Sunday in the village of Mont-Tremblant.
Posted at 1:43 p.m. Updated at 4:28 p.m.
Emergency services received a call inviting them to intervene at the Tremblant resort shortly after 11:30 a.m., said Éric Cadotte, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec.
The accident took place on the southern slope of the mountain, in the ski lift facing the village. “A machinery device which was probably in operation struck the basket in which two people were seated,” he reports.
The basket held up, but unfortunately the two people were thrown out of the basket and fell several meters.
Éric Cadotte, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec
The first person was pronounced dead in hospital. The second was “urgently transferred to a Montreal hospital center to treat life-threatening injuries”. The identity of these individuals is not known.
Teams of investigators are on site to shed light on the circumstances surrounding this event. Upon arrival of The Press, five police vehicles were at the scene. They plan to stay there for at least several hours.
On site, signs indicate at the entrance of the gondolas that the lifts of the site are closed. It is impossible to see the scene of the drama from the foot of the mountain, since the accident would have taken place “towards the middle” of the mountain.
“We don’t know if it’s a criminal act, negligence or a stupid accident,” says Éric Cadotte.
