Two people were rescued from a hot air balloon which on Saturday morning (28) had become stuck in a mobile mast tower 280 meters above the ground.
according to The New York Post The incident took place in Longview in the state of Texas. According to the Longview Fire Department, the balloon fabric was perforated by the sharp edges of the 1,000-foot (335-meter) tower and was suspended approximately 800 feet (280 meters) above the ground.
The rescue operation started around 09:00. Fourteen rescuers climbed the tower and reached the exhausted passengers at 10:00. Both were conscious and reported no injuries as a result of the accident, the fire service said.
The rescuers used several 90-metre long ropes to get the passengers safely out of the balloon basket. They dragged them down “rope by rope” until they were safely back on the ground.
– All in all, it was a fairly smooth operation, as smooth as it can be with all the challenges here, said Stephen Winchellhead of special operations in Longview, adding that the mission was as “Super Bowl for rope rescues”.
– Climbing 300 meters up and 300 meters back down, for some of them with heavy equipment and ropes, is physically very exhausting. I am grateful for their efforts and that the Lord was with us, he added.
After the passengers were safely back on the ground, the rescuers were met with applause from the audience following the action, and they were given pizza as a thank you. – Never expected, but always appreciated. Your support means everything after a day like this, the fire department wrote on Facebook.
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Photo: Longview Fire Department. This content has been created with the help of KI and reviewed by the editors.
