Monday, August 13, 2018
Since Sept 27, 1879
Retail $1.80 Home delivered from $1.15
THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY
www.guardianonline.co.nz
Smiles 4 Miles A convoy of trucks generated plenty of smiles for some special passengers, including Brody Spale, in Ashburton on Saturday.
FULL STORY
P4
Evacuated from chairlifts BY LINDA CLARKE
LINDA.C@THEGUARDIAN.CO.NZ
Finalsbound P24
Some skiers on Mt Hutt had a day to remember yesterday when a major power outage stopped chairlifts and sparked an evacuation. The skifield’s power connection at Blackford Road dropped out at 11.16am, stopping all lifts and electrical activity in the base lodge. The quad and triple chair were able to run on alternate power sources but skiers on the Summit Six lift to the top of the mountain were stuck, some for up to 90 minutes. Skifield manager James McKenzie said 65 guests on the Summit Six were lowered to the ground by mountain staff using a static line as technicians worked on
restoring full power to the skifield. He said ski patrollers kept the stranded skiers informed and prioritised evacuations as necessary. No guests had reported being distressed by the wait though some young skiers said they were comfortable but getting cold after sitting for 45 minutes. Evacuation procedures are practised by staff, who can unload 180 guests from the Summit Six in two hours under emergency situations. They took just 30 minutes to unload the 65 guests yesterday. McKenzie said the skifield had a usually stellar electrical supply from EA Networks and it was just unfortunate the outage was on a busy Sunday afternoon. In 11 years as manager, he could think
Hearing for life
Ph 03 307 7900 to subscribe!
House of Hearing is here to help you reconnect with family, friends, music and life. You’ll also get peace of mind with our Total Care Package*. Purchase a pair of hearing aids and receive free follow up care, wax removal and servicing for up to six years . Phone to book a free hearing test and trial today. Ashburton 03 307 8949
Blenheim 03 579 5353
Fendalton 03 351 3535
of only a few other outages that had affected business. EA Networks network manager Brendan Quinn said a malfunction in a transformer at the bottom of the hill, on Blackford Road, was to blame. An oil surge in the transformer had caused it to trip, cutting electricity to the skifield. Staff were dispatched quickly and were able to restore electricity, allowing the mountain to return to business as usual. Technicians who inspected the transformer were planning to repair or replace the equipment overnight. The outage was unrelated to wind, he said. McKenzie said the skifield stayed open longer, to 5pm, yesterday to allow guests to make up for lost time.
Greymouth 03 768 5528
Halswell 03 322 4326
Rangiora 03 310 7355
$3,500 in follow up care for FREE! houseofhearing.co.nz * Terms and conditions apply.
www.guardianonline.co.nz