3:13 p.m.

A spokesman at Sugarloaf ski resort confirmed this afternoon that a ski lift mechanic was working on one of the poles when the lift derailed yesterday, sending several skiers plummeting to the ground.

There had been reports from eyewitnesses of a worker on the pole, but this was the first confirmation from the resort.

“A lift mechanic was on the tower near the chairs doing work related to his job.They are often up there doing work while the chairlifts are running,” Sugarloaf spokesman Ethan Austin said.

Austin would not disclose any further information, saying the investigation is ongoing.

The resort is working with state officials to determine the cause of the crash.

Inspectors have said wind was one factor in Tuesday’s accident, which left 8 injured. Winds were estimated to be around 50 mph when the Spillway East Chairlift fell.

The medical conditions of three people who were transported to Portland following the accident were not available today because their identities have not been released.

Of the eight people injured, two were taken by ambulance to Maine Medical Center in Portland, and one was taken there by LifeFlight helicopter.

The other five victims were treated at Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington. Four of those people were released Tuesday, and the fifth was released this morning after spending the night for observation, said hospital spokeswoman Jill Gray.

She declined to comment on their specific injuries, except to say they were the types associated with trauma from an impact.

The lift, one of Sugarloaf’s oldest, is on its list of upgrades and was slated for possible replacement this summer, but that date was not definitive, Austin said.

Meanwhile on the mountain, many skiers and snowboarders acknowledge the Spillway East lift is old, but if were it running today many said they’d be on it to reach some of the mountain’s best terrain.

“Oh yeah, I’d be right back on it. I’ve skied here all my life,” said James Andersen, 23, of Putnam, N.Y.