A summer vacation turned into a nightmare on Sunday when a panoramic cabin in the tourist village of Mont-Tremblant collided with an engine, throwing two of its passengers out of the cabin. One of them has died and the other is in a “critical” condition.
According to preliminary information from the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), shortly before noon, the pleasure gondola carrying the two victims collided with “construction site machinery” equipment.
Following the collision, both men fell several meters and were thrown out.
The two unidentified passengers were soon spotted. One person was pronounced dead a few hours later. The second victim was between life and death by the end of the afternoon. His condition was considered “very critical” and he was taken to a Montreal-area hospital.
The SQ confirms that the two victims were “visitors” to Mont-Tremblant, but not employees.
According to the Laurentian Tourist Village’s official website, the gondola ride to the top of Mont-Tremblant takes 13 to 15 minutes in the summer. The rooms are circling several meters high. The accident reportedly happened halfway through the race.
No details have yet been released explaining the cause of the collision, but SQ Major Crime Squad investigators are at the scene to understand the cause of the fatal crash.
The Mont-Tremblant Blues Festival has decided to immediately cancel its remaining performances “as well as close all operations out of respect for the individuals involved,” according to a statement released late in the afternoon.
Mont Tremblant resort managers did not respond to interview requests Duty At the time these lines were written.
This is the second ski lift accident in Quebec in as many months. A gondola crash occurred last winter at Mont Sainte-Anne in the Capital-National region. However, the cabin was unoccupied and no injuries were reported in the incident.