Lake Tahoe snowboarder trapped overnight on ski gondola for 15 hours screamed for help until losing voice
It wasn’t until the resort opened up for the day on Friday and the gondola once again began to move that staff realized she had been stuck there overnight, according to reports.
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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – A snowboarder in California spent 15 agonizing hours trapped overnight inside a ski gondola amid freezing temperatures at a South Lake Tahoe ski resort last week, according to multiple reports.
Monica Laso told KCRA that it was the first time she had visited the Heavenly Ski Resort and was there with some friends last Thursday when the unforgettable experience began to unfold.
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FILE - CALIFORNIA, USA - JANUARY 14: A view of Heavenly gondola in South Lake Tahoe, California, United States on January 14, 2024. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Getty Images)
She said that she had approached some workers at the resort who guided her to the gondola after she had said she was too tired to go down the hill.
According to KCRA, Laso said she boarded a little before 5 p.m. and began her journey down to the base when the gondola suddenly stopped minutes later and left her hanging high above the ground.
"I didn’t have a phone, a light or anything," she told KCRA in an interview translated from Spanish.
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She was alone, without a cellphone, and time was ticking by. She also said she could see workers on the ground and was screaming to them for help, but no one heard her.
"I screamed desperately until I lost my voice," she said.
Laso said temperatures were dropping, and all she could do to stay warm was rub her hands and feet.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures plunged into the lower 20s overnight.
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FILE - CALIFORNIA, USA - JANUARY 14: A view of Heavenly gondola of Heavenly ski resort in South Lake Tahoe, California, United States on January 14, 2024. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The Associated Press reported that Laso’s friends reported her missing to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday, but it wasn’t until the resort opened up for the day on Friday and the gondola once again began to move that staff realized she had been stuck there overnight.
Heavenly Mountain Resort released a statement to KCRA and said it is investigating how this occurred.
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A spokesperson for South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue told the AP that paramedics were requested around 8:30 a.m. Friday after Laso was discovered – a little more than 15 hours after her terrifying ordeal began.
The AP reported that Laso was conscious and alert when she was taken to a local hospital to be treated.