‘Pure joy:’ Group stuck overnight on Tram talk of rescue operation
AGENCIES WORKING TO GET EVERYONE DOWN TO SAFETY. >> IT WAS AN EXPERIENCE. ANGEL: AFTER BEING STRANDED IN A TRAMAR C FOR HOURS, 21 PEOPLE ARE NOW BACK ON THE GROUND SAFELY. BILL: I HAVE BEEN STUCK ONCE OR TWICE COME BECAUSE OF WEATHER, YOU WAIT 10 OR 15 MINUTES, THEN THAT TURN IN HALF AN HOUR, THEN IT TURNED INTO AN HOUR. ANGEL: BUT HOW DID ALL OF THIS HAPPEN? MICHAEL: WE WERE AFFECTED BY SEVERE ICE DUE TO THE MOISTURE, COOL TEMPERATURES THAT AFFECTED THE EMERGENCY CABLE. WE HAD TO CEASE OPERATIONS DUE TO THE HHIG WINDS AND THE ICING, AND UNFORTUNALYTE, STRANDED 20 OF OUR EMPLOYEES ACTUALLY OUT ON THE LINE LAST NIGHT. ANGEL: DRAJON JONES WAS THE TMRA OPERATOR OUT ON ETH LINE, THE OPERATOR FOR THE CABIN CARRYING 20 RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES. DRAJON: THEY WERE A LITTLE BIT FINICKY AT FIRST, BUT THEN OENC I TOLD HIM THAT WHAT THE PLAN WAS WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING. THEY DEFINITELY DID, LIKE, CALM DOWN. AN GEL: THEY SAY THE HARDEST THING WAS TO STAY WARM AS RESCUE TEAMPLS ANNED HOW TO BRING EVERYONE DOWN SAFELY. BILL: WE GOT REAL CLOSE AND A LOT OF HUGGING AND AND JUST MAKING SURE EVERYONE WAS OK. ANGEL: AT AROUND 11:30 SATURDAY MO RNING, CREWS BEGAN THEIR RESCUE. THEIR PLAN WAS TO RAPPEL THE PASSENGERS DOWN OFF OF THE CABIN THEN WALK TO A LOCATION WHERE A HELICOPTER COULD FLY THEM TO SAFETY. BILL: ALL THE BEHAVIOR CHANGED. YOU KNOW, WE SAW THE LIGHT AT THE END OF T THEUNNEL. DRAJON: WHEN TIME FINALLY CAME TO RAPPEL, IT WAS JUST PURE JOY. ANGEL: IN GROUPS OF TWO, EMPLOYEES WERE BROUGHT DOWTON SAFETY, THEIR LOVED ONES WAITING FOR TH WEMITH OPEN AS.RM ALEX: I WAS KIND OF WORRIEHED WASN’T GOING TO GET DOWN BEUSCAE OF THE E CABLE AND HOW HOT HOW HIGH IT WAS AND EVERYTHINGO S , BUT HE GOT DOWN SO I’M GLAD. ANGEL: ALTHOUGH EVERYONE WAS BROUGHT WNDO SAFELY, DRAJON SAYS THERE’S AN IMPORTANT LESSON TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE INCIDENT. DRAJON: IN WINTER, YOU HAVE TO BE A LOT MORE PERCEPTIVE OF THE CABLES. AND NOT ONLY THAT, THE WIND CONDITIONS AS WELL. THIS IS THE MOUNTAIN, AND WE HAVE TO GET THAT REMINDER EVERY NOW AND TH.EN ANGEL: THE BERNALILLO COUNTY SHIFFSER OFFICE TELLS US TREHE WAS ONE OTHER PERSON STUCK IN ANOTHER TRAM CAR, AND THEY HAD TO BRING HIM DOWTON SAFETY THREE HOURS LATE
‘Pure joy:’ Group stuck overnight on Tram talk of rescue operation
Twenty-one Sandia Peak Tram and Ten 3 employees spent their New Year’s Eve and most of New Year’s Day trapped inside a Tram car. Related: History and construction of Sandia TramSandia Peak Tramway general manager Michael Donovan told KOAT the group was on the Tram’s last trip down Friday when operators had to stop the tram because of “severe icing due to the moisture and cold temperature that affected the emergency cable.”“That cable actually dropped down within the system, and it was not safe to operate. So, we had to cease operations due to the high winds and the icing and unfortunately stranded,” he said. Watch: A look inside the Tram car trapped on New Year’s EveTen 3 General Manager, Bill Howley, who was among those trapped on the Tram tells KOAT one of their biggest concerns was how to stay warm. “We all got real close, a lot of hugging and just made sure everyone was OK,” Howley said.Donovan said the group did have water, food and space blankets aboard the Tram.Tram operator, Drajon Jones, said that when the Tram first got stuck the group was a bit finicky but once he explained the plan and what had happened they calmed down. And once the rescue operation began, “it was just pure joy,” Jones said. Related: BCSO chopper played key role in rescueRescue crews were able to rescue most of the group Saturday afternoon, but had to cease operations around 1 p.m because of weather in the area. But by 4 p.m. everyone was off the Tram and safe on the base. The New Year’s incident is not the first time something like this happened. In 1973, 41 people were stuck for 24 hours. In 1982, 49 people were stuck for five hours. Thirty years later, in 2012, 20 people were stuck for five hours and then last year 20 people were stuck for four hours.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —
Twenty-one Sandia Peak Tram and Ten 3 employees spent their New Year’s Eve and most of New Year’s Day trapped inside a Tram car.
Related: History and construction of Sandia Tram
Sandia Peak Tramway general manager Michael Donovan told KOAT the group was on the Tram’s last trip down Friday when operators had to stop the tram because of “severe icing due to the moisture and cold temperature that affected the emergency cable.”
“That cable actually dropped down within the system, and it was not safe to operate. So, we had to cease operations due to the high winds and the icing and unfortunately stranded,” he said.
Watch: A look inside the Tram car trapped on New Year’s Eve
Ten 3 General Manager, Bill Howley, who was among those trapped on the Tram tells KOAT one of their biggest concerns was how to stay warm.
“We all got real close, a lot of hugging and just made sure everyone was OK,” Howley said.
Donovan said the group did have water, food and space blankets aboard the Tram.
Tram operator, Drajon Jones, said that when the Tram first got stuck the group was a bit finicky but once he explained the plan and what had happened they calmed down.
And once the rescue operation began, “it was just pure joy,” Jones said.
Related: BCSO chopper played key role in rescue
Rescue crews were able to rescue most of the group Saturday afternoon, but had to cease operations around 1 p.m because of weather in the area. But by 4 p.m. everyone was off the Tram and safe on the base.
The New Year’s incident is not the first time something like this happened. In 1973, 41 people were stuck for 24 hours. In 1982, 49 people were stuck for five hours. Thirty years later, in 2012, 20 people were stuck for five hours and then last year 20 people were stuck for four hours.
