The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has launched an investigation after the cable of a mountain gondola lift was cut by vandals.
Police were contacted by the security team at Sea to Sky Gondola near Squamish, British Columbia, at 4am on 14 September local time, and told the line to the gondola had been cut, sending it crashing into the mountain.
This is the second time the cable has been cut, marking just over a year since the last incident on 10 August 2019. The gondola reopened following repairs on 13 January this year.
“The Sea to Sky Gondola team is stunned and saddened to report that a second act of vandalism has occurred,” the tourist attraction said on its website.
“As history has shown, we are a resilient team and community. We want to thank everyone for their outpouring of support this morning and we will be sharing information as it becomes available.”
No passengers or staff were injured, as the gondola was cleared at 11pm the night before, but staff are asking the public to stay away from the area “for the safety of everyone”.
Squamish RCMP and the Sea to Sky team have indicated they are working alongside the West Vancouver Police Department and the Integrated Police Dog Services.
“We are only a few hours into this investigation and we ask the public to stay out of the area” Sergeant Sascha Banks said.
“The Sea to Sky Gondola is an integral part of this community and we very lucky no one was injured.”
According to The Guardian, Squamish’s mayor, Karen Elliott, told local radio that the incident is likely to impact the town economically, as it relies heavily on tourism.
“The gondola is a draw for other tourism operators in the valley. A pause in operations there does have impacts through the community,” she said.
Featured image source: RCMP
