Sea to Sky Gondola cable deliberately cut: report
Posted September 18, 2019 2:28 pm.
Last Updated September 18, 2019 2:57 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – It’s still unclear exactly who is responsible, but a new report has confirmed that the cable of the Sea to Sky Gondola was deliberately cut.
Jeff Coleman with Technical Safety BC says his investigation found the Squamish tourist attraction did not collapse due to a defect.
“What became very evident through our analysis was that the haul rope was failing while it was being cut, and as individual wires were cut, more and more energy was being released,” he says. “So this was quite a deliberate act.”
RELATED: RCMP says cable on Sea to Sky Gondola may have been intentionally cut
The RCMP has been investigating since August, when vandals made it up one of the gondola’s towers in the middle of the night and cut the cable, sending 20 of the 30 cars crashing to the ground. The damage was excessive, forcing the lift to close and putting summer staff out of work.
Coleman says while the scope of the Technical Safety investigation was limited to the haul rope, the results were clear.
RELATED: Sea to Sky Gondola on track to re-open next spring
“What we were able to conclude is that there were no defects in either the haul rope’s design or construction, or that of the gondola, that may have contributed to the haul rope’s separation.”
While the extensive repairs are underway, parts have been ordered from Europe and may take significant time to ship. The gondola is set to reopen in the spring, barring any delays.
The RCMP is still investigating the incident, and if you have information that could help, you’re asked to contact the Squamish RCMP.
