Skiers Rescued by Rope After Chairlift Malfunctions at Vail Ski Resort

Skiing is a fun, high-adrenaline sport, but it can sometimes be dangerous. Not only do accidents happen on the mountain itself, but some of the most tragic events that have taken place on Colorado’s ski mountains have historically taken place high above the slopes on chairlifts and gondolas.

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Luckily, it has been quite a while since one of these tragedies has taken place at a Colorado ski resort, but this past weekend did see an incident that was likely scary for those involved, in which a chairlift malfunctioned and the occupants had to be rescued via a rope.

Colorado Chairlift Malfunction Last Weekend

On Sunday, January 25, 2026, the Little Eagle chairlift at Vail Ski Resort in Vail, Colorado, experienced a malfunction. It’s unclear as to exactly what happened, but some witnesses have claimed to have seen a cable break, and others have reported hearing a loud noise, prompting the chairlift to stop moving.

After the malfunction took place and the Little Eagle chairlift stopped, efforts to evacuate all of the skiers off of the chairlift commenced. In all, an estimated 40 occupants were evacuated from the lift chairs by ski patrol.

The occupants were rescued from the stagnant chairlift chairs by ropes, facilitated by ski patrollers, in an effort that took about 90 minutes.

Luckily, no one was injured as a direct result of the chairlift malfunction or the rescue efforts.

The company that owns the Vail Ski Resort, Vail Resorts, has stated that they plan to keep the chairlift closed until they pinpoint exactly what happened and can ensure that the Little Eagle chairlift is ready to operate again safely.

Read More: Flashback: Two Colorado Chairlift Malfunctions Nine Years Apart

Check out the full story, as well as the full statement from Vail Resorts, here.