40 evacuated from China Peak chairlift after derailment

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The weather put a damper on New Year's Eve at China Peak.

Strong wind gusts between 45 and 50 miles per hour derailed a ski lift. To keep everyone safe, the resort shut down the lift and helped evacuate about 40 people stranded on the chairs. It took about three hours to lower each person down with a rope.

Tim Cohee, the resort's owner told Action News in all his years in the business he has never see anything like it.