The Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish has been forced to close down after its cable was cut in what operators are calling a "second act of vandalism."
"At approximately 4:00am on Monday, September 14, a second act of vandalism occurred at the Sea to Sky Gondola and the main cable has been cut," reads the Squamish attraction's website.
"No staff or guests were on the line. We are working with the RCMP and our efforts are focused on the well-being of our staff at this time. The gondola will be closed until further notice."
Squamish RCMP says they were contacted at 4 a.m. Monday by the security team at the Sea to Sky Gondola, "stating that the line to the gondola had been cut and had crashed into the mountain."
Squamish RCMP and the Sea to Sky General Investigation Section are working alongside partner agencies including West Vancouver Police Department, the Integrated Police Dog Services, and more will be called as the day goes on.
"We are only a few hours into this investigation and we ask the public to stay out of the area" says Sergeant Sascha Banks. "The Sea to Sky Gondola is an integral part of this community and we very lucky no one was injured. Someone in our area has seen something or has heard something and we are asking them to call us immediately with any information."
The Sea to Sky Gondola's main cable was cut on Sept. 14, 2020. Photo: Squamish RCMP“Almost the exact same situation as last year,” said Sea to Sky Gondola General Manager Kirby Brown. “An individual climbed the tower with the right tool with great speed and cut through the cable and brought the system down."
Brown didn’t say if there was any indication that it was the same perpetrator as last year but noted that the crime was repeated in what appeared to be a proficient manner.
“You can draw your own conclusion on that one,” he said. “He certainly knew when and how to do it.”
There is an image from security cameras, Brown said, adding the RCMP has much more to work with this time around.
Brown said that no one was hurt in the latest incident, nor in the one last year.
“We’ll be back. We are not going to let one person keep us down,” said Brown.
As of now, the area is being treated as a crime scene.
“We’ve got insurance, they were on the phone with me first thing this morning asking what we needed and how big the cheque should be so we can buy what we need to buy to get back up and running,” Brown said.
“We’ve been rocked before and it feels very strange to be experienced at this but my team is incredible, our ownership is rock solid, our industry and community are here to support.”
“We will be back up, and we now know again what we need to do if this person doesn't get caught — and even if they do — to physically protect the towers.”
It has been just 13 months since the Sea to Sky Gondola's cable was cut by a vandal on Aug. 10, causing the cabins to drop.
After extensive and expensive repairs, the Gondola re-opened in mid-February of this year, only to find itself closed again a month later due to COVID-19.
Please contact the Squamish RCMP at 604-892-6100 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or go to the Crime Stoppers website with any information.
With files from Steven Chua/The Squamish Chief
