Interesting rescue at Loon

[SAR-EMT40]

Gondola Shut Off With Man Inside
POSTED: 1:52 pm EDT September 6, 2005

LINCOLN, N.H. -- An 18-year-old hiker from Connecticut spent the night suspended in a ski gondola at New Hampshire's Loon Mountain Resort, as searchers fanned out on the mountain below looking for him.

Thomas Landeen, of East Haddam, Conn., had taken the gondola to the summit on Monday to explore the sights at the resort in Lincoln.

Searchers were called at about 10 p.m. when he didn't return, said state Fish and Game Lt. Todd Bogardus. They spent the night checking trails and the White Mountain National Forest, not knowing Landeen was stranded above them, trying to get their attention.

"He did hear and see us, and he tried to signal," Bogardus said.

Landeen returned to the gondola building at about 5:30 p.m. Monday, saw no attendants in the area and got on a four-person gondola car to ride back down the mountain, Bogardus said.

"It was moving, he got on and unfortunately, the timing was wrong and it didn't get him to the bottom," Bogardus said.

There are gondola attendants at the top and bottom of the mountain, with cars running in a continuous loop. The person stationed at the summit apparently was traveling down the mountain at closing time when Landeen took an empty car. Landeen's car was about a quarter of the way down the mountain when the gondola was shut off.

Landeen "didn't see anyone. He certainly wanted to get on. It looked like the last run," Bogardus said.

Landeen spent about 16 hours suspended over the slope. He was found Tuesday morning when attendants restarted the gondola and he reached the bottom. He was not hurt.

Fish and Game officers, Lincoln police and searchers from the White Mountain National Forest searched Monday night, Bogardus said. Others from Pemigewasset Valley Search and Rescue, the Upper Valley Wilderness Response Team, New England K-9 Search and Rescue and state police were preparing to set out Tuesday morning when Landeen reached the bottom.

 

[TDawg]

HA!! Not too smart...

 

[MichaelJ]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

I know how this is done at ski time - they simply mark the "last" chair and once it goes around the attendants ski down. I've never thought about how it's done in summer. Was there a barrier? Did he walk around it?

 

[TCD]

Lift closure procedures vary from area to area and from lift to lift within an area. Loon needs to examine it's procedures. Fortunately it was Summer.

 

[Grumpy]

It probably doesn't make a lot of sense for a guy to just "help himself" to a gondola or chairlift ride when nobody's around. But . . .

Does it make sense for the attendants to leave their stations before the lift stops running?

G.

 

[MichaelJ]

Does it make sense for the attendants to leave their stations before the lift stops running?

That was kind of my question, because in the summer ... YES, because how else would they get down?

 

[Moose]

Does it make sense for the attendants to leave their stations before the lift stops running?

G.

The lift attendant at the top needs to get a ride down at the end of the day so they can't really stop while someone is still stationed at the top (unless you have a snowmobile...of course this is no good during the summer)...what could have prevented this from happening is marking the gondola that the attendant rode down and waiting for it to cycle around one last time to be sure no one is left on.

 

[TCD]

Again, there are numerous possible procedures. Attendants could walk down, be driven down in a truck, walk over to another lift and ride that down, clear the line except for a single cabin and ride that cabin down, etc. etc.

The possible procedures are as numerous as are the different mountain layouts and lift designs.

The question is, could a well meaning but uninformed person (the legal "reasonable man") get stuck on the lift? Or would a person have to consciously violate a boundary (go through a closed gate with a sign on it, or go into the cabin barn and launch his own cabin, or something like that) in order to get on and get stuck?

If a lift is running, unattended, with no closed gate preventing access to the boarding area, then a reasonable person might board.

 

[GeorgeFitch]

>>> what could have prevented this from happening is marking the gondola that the attendant rode down and waiting for it to cycle around one last time to be sure no one is left on. <<<

That would work if the person got on while the marked gondola was on its way UP the mountain, but if the person got on after the marked gondola passed the top of the lift they would want to bring a sleeping bag or a rope with them.

 

[expat]

Will he be charged for the search?

 

[TCD]

While we're on the subject of procedures, the SAR folks over there need to seriously look at their procedures too. I just re-read the article, and was reminded that the missing person WAS NOT FOUND by the SAR people. He was found by the lift crew when they turned the lift back on in the morning.

So a searched raged throughout the night, and nobody even thought of looking on the lift. It was not on any checklist attached to any procedure.

That needs review at the debrief.

 

[Grumpy]

The lift attendant at the top needs to get a ride down at the end of the day so they can't really stop while someone is still stationed at the top (unless you have a snowmobile...of course this is no good during the summer)...what could have prevented this from happening is marking the gondola that the attendant rode down and waiting for it to cycle around one last time to be sure no one is left on.

Oops! I overlooked the obvious in my earlier post. Actually, it seems to me what might work here is obvious signs and very simple barriers warning against boarding the lift if no attendant is present. Of course . . . that provides no guarantees.

G.

 

[Mark Schaefer]

I suppose this is one way to get a free room with a view. Hope he had a camera to take what little advantage there may have been in a bad situation.

It does sound like there were problems on all fronts, and it would be nice to know "the rest of the story" when it becomes available. Signs and barrier gates do some good, but ideally it should be physically impossible to board one of the gondolas if they are left running unattended.

On the other hand, we expect solo hikers to communicate their plans with others. The same rule should apply to anyone venturing off on their own. If the young man had done that he would have been promptly found. It is a lesson that can never be taught too soon to youngsters (or oldsters).

 

[Mr. X]

I was thinking it wouldn't be that bad to be stuck up there, but then again...if he had to drop a deuce...bad news!

 

[Chip]

but then again...if he had to drop a deuce...

that's one way to signal the SAR's.

I have a hard time believing this guy couldn't signal or yell loud enough to get anyones attention. This reminds me of people who get "stuck" in elevators over night and then sue for damages. Hopefully that's not what's going on here.

 

[drewski]

and it was cold

it sure was cold on top of those killington mts wasnt it kevin.rams head was the worst.