Cable Car Passengers Stuck 12,000 Feet in the Air, Stranded Overnight in French Alps

The French Alps is certainly a sight to see. However, 33 passengers had seen more than what they bargained for when they got stuck in a cable car at 12,000 feet up in the air - overnight.

At around 4:30 in the afternoon, the cable cars between the Aiguille de Midi and Pointe Helbronner had come to a complete stop. Supporting cables and towing cables had crossed in several places thus causing the sudden halt.

While a few passengers aboard the cable cars were immediately rescued, 33 passengers remained inside the cars overnight. The rescue for the 33 passengers is said to resume at 6:30 in the morning.

"We had to stop the rescuing operations when the night came because the helicopters can't do the rescuing operation when it is dark," stated Floriane Macian, spokeswoman for the area in a telephone interview with the NY Times.

Despite the situation, officials of the cable cars stated that the cabins have been prepared for such situations. Blankets and rations had been provided for each cable car. The rations include cereal bars and water.

As for the rescue operations involving passengers stuck in cable cars 12,000 feet off the ground, helicopters had to be used. In a report by the Daily Express, rescuers had harnessed themselves onto the cables, climbed onto the cars, and dropped down inside the cars through the hatches.

"We had to do it by helicopter and not vertically like we can do it in other places, because the ground underneath is of a glacial type so there is a risk of crevasses and it could lead to accidents," stated Mathieu Dechavanne, the CEO of the company who manages the cable cars.

As for the 110 trapped passengers at the Chamonix region close to Mont Blanc, 65 of them had been rescued. Prior to the incident, an Australian and South African tourist managed to share videos and an Instagram post of the French Alps.