What happened to Sheldon Johnson? Officials ID victim killed in Mont Tremblant gondola accident

On Sunday, July 16, 50-year-old Ontario man Sheldon Johnson was killed after falling from a gondola in Mont Tremblant, Canada. According to Quebec authorities, the accident occured after the gondola was struck by a drilling machine. Johnson, who was riding up the mountain, was killed after being ejected. An unidentified woman sustained critical injuries in the incident.

Trigger warning: This article concerns a fatal accident, the reader's discretion is advised

The case is currently under investigation by Quebec authorities. The driver of the drilling machine, a 30-year-old employee of Forage M2P Inc, was treated at a local hospital for shock. It remains unknown whether he will face charges related to the incident.

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The timeline of the accident that killed Sheldon Johnson

According to Fox News, at approximately 11:30 am on Sunday, Sheldon Johnson and the unidentified woman were riding up the mountain They were both thrown off the sightseeing gondola after it struck a drilling machine. The victims, both Ontario residents in their 50's, flew off the gondola due to the impact from the collision. While the man was killed, the woman was transported to a local hospital.

Eric Cadotte, a spokesperson for provincial police service Surete de Quebec, questioned why the drilling machine was operating so close to the gondola when the sightseeing device was still active.

Cadotte said:

"It was pretty bad. The gondola that was struck, there's a part of the gondola that was ripped off and the people had no chance at all, they just fell on the ground at several metres, hitting hard on the ground."

He continued:

"The impact was very brutal.... Why was the drilling machine there and working under gondolas on a Sunday?"

In the wake of the incident, authorities shut down operations at the Mont Tremblant resort and questioned witnesses and workers about Sheldon Johnson's death. Investigators also searched the drilling machine for any sign of a defect.

As per CBC, the 30-year-old drilling machine driver said that he was trying to move it in order to get the machine ready for the work he would do on Monday. Authorities said that while the case is still in the early stages of the investigation, there is a possibility that the drilling machine operator could face charges of criminal negligence.

Annique Aird, vice president of sales, marketing and communications, made a statement addressing the death of Sheldon Johnson.

Aird said:

"It's hard. It's a very difficult time for us. It's hard for all the staff and we're really with the family. We are saddened by this situation and Station Mont Tremblant offers its most sincere condolences to all those involved."

Aird added that the drilling machine was being operated by a third party. She said that officials at the resort will probe the incident to make sure they can move forward safely.