Incredible moment two people rescued from hot air balloon after striking radio tower in Texas

Two people were rescued after a hot air balloon crashed into a radio tower in Texas.

An unidentified man and a woman were rescued from a hot air balloon that crashed at around 8.15am on Saturday.

The couple was pulled from a basket dangling from a radio tower by the Longview Fire Department.

Just before 9 a.m., firefighters began climbing the 1,100-foot tower and by 10 a.m. they reached passengers trapped at about 920 feet, the fire department said. release.

Strong winds caused difficulties during the rescue effort, which lasted about four hours and was described as “highly technical and time-consuming”, according to the ministry.

The torn balloon was seen flying in the wind while the fabric remained attached to the tower. The balloon became entangled in a guy wire, according to the FAA’s preliminary briefing.

The basket in which the couple was waiting hung from a knee-shattering height.

In the images taken from the ministry, a woman is seen being fixed with ropes and given a hard hat before being helped down from the tower.

Just before 9 a.m., firefighters began climbing the 1,100-foot tower, and by 10 a.m. they reached the stranded passengers at an altitude of about 300 meters.

Strong winds caused difficulties throughout the rescue effort, which lasted around four hours and was described as ‘extremely technical and time consuming’.

The man looked at her from inside the basket before being helped out.

In video from the department, he was seen wearing a yellow hard hat as he was pulled towards the structure in a heart-stopping moment.

While no one was injured in the accident, both passengers were taken to hospital as a precaution.

‘All members of the rescue team are part of our highly trained Special Operations Unit at Stations 5 and 2 carrying out a coordinated technical rescue effort. Longview commanded the scene and operational activities, the department said.

Fire department spokesman Marcus Delaney said: Radio World It was stated that the KYKX radio station was off-air during the rescue, but there was no damage to the tower’s antennas or transmission equipment.

Delaney said 14 firefighters and 35 firefighters were needed for the rescue.

Delaney added that the team was assisted by Longview Police, Judson Fire, East Mountain Fire, Gregg and Upshur County Sheriff’s Offices and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Officer Tim Barnett said in a statement on the subject: Facebook: ‘Today I witnessed something that is difficult to put into words. ‘The professionalism, courage and sensitivity shown by the Longview Fire Department was extraordinary.’

In the footage, both passengers were seen being secured with rope and given hard hats to help them descend to the ground far below.

The rescue effort required 14 firefighters and 35 fire personnel and took approximately four hours.

The torn balloon was seen flying in the wind while the fabric remained attached to the tower. The balloon became entangled in a guy wire, according to the FAA’s preliminary briefing

Barnett said he came on stage to help but was in “total admiration for this team.”

‘These dedicated firefighters climbed nearly 300 meters into the sky to safely rescue two victims who crashed into a 1,100 meter tower.

‘Their training, teamwork and commitment to excellence was evident at every step of the operation.’

The police officer said the department executed the rescue “flawlessly.”

Longview Special Operations member Stephen Winchell said: KTV that the incident was one they had trained for, but never at such a high level.

“We’ve literally talked about it and briefed and talked about what would happen if a hot air balloon got stuck in a tree or a power line, but we didn’t expect both of those scenarios to come together today into a very challenging rescue,” Winchell said.

‘If there were people injured or not as skilled we would have to climb into the basket and that would add a significant degree of difficulty.’