According to WTMW, an ABC affiliate for southern Maine and northern New Hampshire, citing a source at nearby Franklin Memorial Hospital, eight people were hospitalized after the ski lift derailment, including one patient at Maine Medical Center in Portland and another at the Maine Medical Center's trauma center.
The Spillway East lift rope derailed from the eighth tower at about 10:30 a.m., while carrying 220 passengers. Five chairs fell 25 to 30 feet to the ground below, Sugarloaf officials said in a press release.
“All injured guests have been treated and are being transported to area hospitals. At this point none of the injuries are believed to be life threatening,” the resort said.
After the initial injury count at six, a seventh passenger was sent to Franklin Memorial Hospital in the afternoon after he said he felt some pain.
“We’re deeply concerned about those who were injured,” said Sugarloaf spokesman Ethan Austin in a statement. “And we’re committed to understanding the cause of this incident.”
Sugarloaf has yet to determine the cause of the incident.
The Spillway East chair was manufactured and installed by Borvig in 1975 and modified in 1983. The lift, which moves at 500 feet per minute, is 4,013 feet long, according to the Sugarloaf press statement.
