Snowboarder Stuck In Gondola For 15 Hours Overnight At California Ski Resort

Ella Boyd
·2 min read
6

At Heavenly Ski Resort in South Lake Tahoe, CA, a snowboarder experienced the unimaginable last Thursday: an entire night alone in a cold, dark, gondola, with no phone to call for help.

CBS News Sacramento reported that with temperatures in the low 20s, this woman refused medical help when rescued, but was "traumatized" from the experience.

The woman, identified as Monica Laso, loaded onto the gondola at the end of the day (around 5pm) to ride down the mountain instead of riding down on snow, feeling fatigued.

But when the gondola stopped shortly into her ride down, she realized she didn't have her phone to call for help, and "screamed desperately" until she lost her voice, according to the initial KCRA interview in Spanish.

After the initial shock of being stuck in the small, cold box, Laso preserved her body heat by rubbing her hands and feet together, unable to find the emergency kit in the gondola.

The night lasted 15 hours in total, coming to fruition when the gondola began running the next morning (on Friday).

Kim George, a representative for South Lake Tahoe Fire and Rescue, reported that Laso's incident was "the first time the organization had responded to an accident of that nature in more than 20 years."

Tahoe resorts are having a bit of a rough streak this year, with avalanches, low tide conditions, and now, someone getting stuck in a gondola overnight.

But things could be changing soon, as storms are on the horizon for the Sierra range.

This investigation to find out how this incident occurred is still underway, and being directed "with the utmost seriousness."

"The safety and wellbeing of our guests is our top priority at Heavenly Mountain Resort," said Tom Fortune, the resort's vice president and chief operating officer, in a statement.

We hope Monica Laso returns to the mountains and something like this doesn't happen again anytime soon.

Related: Rarely Operated Lift Opens At Palisades Tahoe

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