Skiers were injured when chairlifts collided at the ski resort in Lake Tahoe

CNN
—

Five skiers were transported to the hospital Monday after an “incident” on a chairlift at Heavenly Ski Area in Lake Tahoe, according to Bryce Cranch, deputy chief of the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District.

The condition of the patients is not yet known.

The incident happened around 10 a.m. local time and the fire department said it responded with two fire engines and three ambulances.

Photos taken by a skier and shared with CNN show the aftermath of a collision between two chairs.

Travis Faanes told CNN that he was standing in line for the Dipper Express chairlift when he heard someone shout “Oh my God!”

He said as he turned to his right he saw people falling and hitting the ground.

“The chair slid back into the chair behind it with the people on it,” Faanes said. “The people in the front seat fell off.”

He added that it could have been worse.

“You’re lucky this happened right at the start of the lift,” he said.

Brett Federico told CNN that he arrived there immediately after the incident.

Federico said he saw four sleds taking people down the mountain after the incident and he saw one of the victims riding by with oxygen.

“It wasn’t good at all,” Federico said. “A broken chair has always been a nightmare for me, and witnessing this is even worse.”

The resort is “investigating” the incident and guest safety is “top priority,” communications manager Cole Zimmerman told CNN.