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49 Degrees North repairs broken chair lift after two people injured in fall

The chair lift detached from the chair line while the two people were seated on it. They suffered minor injuries.
49 Degrees North in Chewelah (Courtesy photo)

CHEWELAH, Wash. — 49 Degrees North finished repairs on a chair lift that broke Saturday and caused two people to fall.

In a Facebook post, the ski resort said its maintenance staff installed a new attachment system. The Washington State Department Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed the in-field observation report made by the Forest Service agent in attendance, according to the post. 

The resort said they have reviewed the modification plan and given them the OK to operate Chair 1 starting the weekend on Dec. 11-13.  

The two people were immediately treated by ski patrol and only suffered minor injuries, according to a press release from the ski resort.

The chair lift was stopped for about 20 minutes while workers assessed the situation. All guests were then safely unloaded, the release said. 

The resort released a statement Tuesday explaining what happened. The resort said in its statement that an investigation has revealed that a cotter pin, which helps keep the chair on the line, was missing from its clip or had failed. Crews have been unable to locate the pin to determine if it broke or had come out of place, according to the statement. 

The resort said after the incident that every chair on the line was inspected and no other problems were found.

The incident on Saturday is not the first time this has happened at 49 Degrees North. In January, a Spokane couple got stuck on Chair 1 for the second time.

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