Six Injured in Lutsen Gondola Accident
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Lutsen, MN., Aug. 11–A gondola accident at LutsenMountains Ski Resort Wednesday injured six people, one of them critically,as a gondola slid back along the cable near the top terminal on MooseMountain and struck another cabin before falling 15 feet to the ground. One59-year-old man, riding in the cabin that was struck, suffered head andchest injuries and remained in a Duluth hospital today in criticalcondition. His daughter, 12, was ejected from the cabin and fell to theground, but was treated at a local hospital and released.
The cabin thatslid back and fell had a capacity four people on board. One woman in thatcabin suffered a broken leg and tailbone, and was treated and released.
According to local newspaper reports, it was the first accident involvingthe gondola since it opened in 1989. In fact, reports are that the gondolathat slipped on the cable was one of 10 completely rebuilt recently andthat the entire line was load-tested in June.
