Numerous passengers who were stuck at a very high altitude on Quito’s (Ecuador) well-known tourist cable car found themselves in a terrifying situation.
But in the early hours of Friday, a successful rescue operation brought them back to safety, putting an end to their ordeal.
All 75 people were brought down from the cable car safely thanks to a massive rescue effort by the police and firefighters.
The incident happened as a result of an electrical problem that shut down the cable car system. It took close to ten hours for the issue to be fixed, enabling the start of the rescue effort and providing much-needed relief to those who were trapped.
48 people were reportedly stuck at the cable car’s highest point, which was at a dizzying height of about 4,000 meters (13,120 feet) above sea level.
Then, 17 additional people who were stranded along the cable line were successfully saved. An additional 10 people were able to safely reach the ground after the system was restored to operation.
The cable car travels between two terminals over a distance of 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles), with the lower terminal located at a height of 3,100 meters above sea level.
On the Quito municipality’s Twitter account, videos from the rescue effort were posted.
📍 #PabelEnTerritorio | El Alcalde de Quito, @pabelml, agradece el trabajo de cada institución y el esfuerzo realizado en el rescate de las personas atrapadas en las góndolas del Teleférico.#QuitoRenace pic.twitter.com/WKwONZSgeq
— Municipio de Quito (@MunicipioQuito) July 7, 2023
Others were able to retreat to safety inside their cabins, while some people had to be carefully lowered to the ground using ropes. The images perfectly depicted the rescue team’s synchronized efforts and professionalism throughout the operation.
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