Wenatchee, WA – A chairlift in Maine at Sugarloaf Resort wasn’t the only one to be derailed in the past week, but the incident on Christmas Day at Mission Ridge Ski and Board Resort in Wenatchee, Wash., had a happier ending.nAn unexpected gust of wind derailed an empty chair on Mission Ridge’s No. 2 lift, also known as the Liberator Express, in the lift’s upper terminal around 11 a.m. Saturday morning. The chairlift’s 56 riders were successfully evacuated by Mission Ridge Ski Patrol and other resort staffers. Unlike the incident in Maine, no injuries were reported at Mission Ridge.

Saturday’s evacuation took about 75 minutes to complete in good weather, ski area officials indicate. The lift has since been reinspected and has resumed operation.