The damaged tow at Snowplanet last night after a woman was taken to hospital. Photo / Chris Gorman
Investigators were last night checking equipment at the Snowplanet indoor snow sport centre north of Auckland after a worker was hit in the head when the lift system failed.
The woman, in her mid-20s, was at the bottom of the centre's ski slope operating the lift when the cable broke
free and a tow struck her in the head.
Manager Nick Bradshaw said the woman, who has not been named, was sent to North Shore Hospital.
"We had a lift cable that's come off the wheels, and it fell down. She was at the bottom and the [tow] swung down and hit her."
Kaye Figuero was on the slope at the Dairy Flat centre when she heard a loud whipping noise about 4pm.
"It [the cable] let go with a big bang. She was cut to the side of the head."
Mrs Figuero said the injured woman was talking after being injured.
She said about 20 people were on or near the cable lift at the time.
"There were people all on the lift when it let go. I was really surprised that she was the only one hurt. All of the seats and metal castings ... some of them would have shot out a good three or four metres."
Mr Bradshaw said it was the first serious incident at Snowplanet.
"As far as I know, something like this happening is very rare.
"It's mainly down to the cable, and that's really all I know."
Snowboarders were still out last night, using the remaining lift on the right-hand side of the slope to take them uphill.
North Shore Hospital could not give an update on the woman's condition last night, and two Department of Labour investigators who arrived at Snowplanet at 6pm would not comment.
Snowplanet director Duncan Smith said he had confidence in the company's safety procedures, and the manufacturers of the lift and cable would probably be drawn into the investigation.
"I'm confident those systems and processes are as they should be, but clearly when something like this happens you go back and investigate."
