LONGVIEW, Texas – Rescue crews in an East Texas city completed an unusual and complicated rescue Saturday when a hot air balloon struck a cell tower, getting stuck over 900 feet above the ground with two people on board.
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It happened in the City of Longview around 8:15 a.m. Saturday morning.
First responders got a call about a hot air balloon that had struck the tower with a man and woman aboard.
Around 8:50 a.m., rescue crews began climbing the tower using multiple ropes.
Steven Winchell with the Longview Special Operations team said it was “not an everyday rescue” and that their ropes are only about 300 feet a piece, requiring ropes to be put together to reach the top.
Rescuers were able to reach the two people at approximately 10 a.m. The man and woman were conscious and appeared uninjured. They were secured to the tower and by 12:47 p.m., both were safely on the ground where they were transported to a hospital out of precaution.
“Overall it was a pretty smooth operation, as much as it can be,” Winchell said.
The investigation into how the balloon ended up striking the tower remains ongoing.