Gondola tragedy on New Year’s Eve – 21 people stuck in icy cable car for more than 12 hours

Incredible drama in a cable car! Due to an icy cable, 21 people were stuck in a cable car cabin on New Year’s Eve. The rescue work lasted more than 12 hours. During this time, the passengers had been stuck in the icy gondolas at dizzying heights.

This New Year’s Eve they had certainly imagined quite differently! On Friday night, a total of 21 people were stuck in cable car cabins overnight in the US state of New Mexico. Because previously the gondolas had come to a standstill because of the freezing cold and due to an iced cable. Immediately afterwards, the rescue operation began in the Sandia Mountains above Albuquerque. Rescuers had to use helicopters and ropes to free the people stuck in the gondolas. The people stranded in the gondolas had entered the zip line around 9 p.m. that evening and the last people were not rescued until a little over 12 hours later. All of the people stuck in the gondolas had been employees of the cable car or one of the mountain restaurants.

Most of the people stuck in the gondolas were on their way to the bottom station after finishing work when the system suddenly gave up the ghost. While there had been 20 people in one gondola, 1 security staff member was stuck in a 2nd stranded gondola. At first, after hours of effort, the emergency services succeeded in rescuing the 20 people from the 1st gondola before the security guard could also be freed from his predicament. Fortunately, no one was injured during the operation. However, the mood among those stuck in the gondola was said to have been not exactly good, also because of the missed New Year’s Eve celebration with their families. Earlier, rescue workers had provided food and warm blankets to those stranded. Finally, the people were brought down to the ground with ropes from the gondolas and then flown down to the valley by helicopter.