In a dramatic rescue operation, two individuals were saved after their hot air balloon collided with a cell tower in Texas on Saturday morning, leaving them precariously suspended nearly 1,000 feet above ground.
Responding swiftly to the emergency, the Longview Fire Department initiated a “high angle rescue” shortly before 9 a.m. following alerts that a colorful hot air balloon had become entangled with a cell tower.
According to the fire department, the balloon’s fabric was punctured by the sharp contours of the 1,100-foot structure, leaving it hanging approximately 920 feet up in the air.
Photos shared by the department captured the nerve-wracking scene, showing the balloon’s torn fabric caught in the tower’s framework while its basket, with the two passengers inside, swayed in the breeze.
A team of fourteen rescuers, comprising both on-duty and off-duty personnel, climbed the tower and reached the distressed passengers by 10 a.m. The individuals were conscious and uninjured despite the harrowing experience, as reported by the fire department.
Rescue teams employed several 300-foot ropes to carefully extract the occupants from the basket. Fire officials explained at a press briefing that the duo was lowered “rope by rope” until they safely reached the ground.
“Overall, it was a pretty smooth operation, as much as it can be, with all the challenges here,” Longview Special Operations Lieutenant Stephen Winchell said.
“Climbing 1,000 feet up, 1,000 feet down, for some of them, with a bunch of heavy gear and rope, is a very physically taxing event. I’m thankful for their sweat-equity, and the Lord being with us,” he added.
The basket was “swinging pretty good in the breeze there” while the petrified passengers clung to the edges for dear life, Winchell said.
He described the situation as “the Super Bowl of rope rescues” simply due to the logistical challenges, including the exposure to the elements and the height of the tower.
He praised the passengers for “doing what they needed to do to be calm and cooperative” during the death-defying rescue.
The harrowing accident drew a large audience, with some even setting up lawn chairs nearby the watch the hours-long rescue. Winchell said a friend told him his own family was watching from a nearby gas station.
Tower King II, a local construction company, will break down the remnants of the balloon piece by piece. Their first priority is lowering the basket and its remaining tank of propane back to the ground. After that, they’ll free the rest of the shredded envelope, Winchell explained.
The firemen and emergency responders were lauded for their heroism — and rewarded with free pizza.
“Never expected, but always appreciated,” the fire department wrote on Facebook.
“Your support means everything after a day like today,” it added.
