Hesse: More than 40 people freed from cable car gondolas

Rüdesheim am Rhein (dpa/lhe) - During a spectacular rescue operation, 41 people were freed from the gondolas of the cable car between Rüdesheim and the Niederwald monument in the Rheingau-Taunus district.

Hesse: More than 40 people freed from cable car gondolas

Rüdesheim am Rhein (dpa/lhe) - During a spectacular rescue operation, 41 people were freed from the gondolas of the cable car between Rüdesheim and the Niederwald monument in the Rheingau-Taunus district. The almost 1.4 kilometer long track, popular with tourists, had previously stopped due to a technical defect in the hydraulics, as a police spokesman said on Saturday. Manual emergency operation was also no longer possible in the incident on Friday. The passengers were stuck in the gondolas hanging up to 14 meters above the ground.

A large-scale operation of the fire brigade was triggered, which approached with their height rescuers. They freed the passengers with turntable ladders, special cable carriages and a police helicopter. The passengers were lowered to the ground by rope. It took almost three hours for the last passengers to be freed. The operation was over by 9:00 p.m.

The 41 people were spread over 20 gondolas. Nobody got hurt. 89 emergency services were on site, including emergency chaplains.