ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Officials said moisture and winds caused two cable cars to stop Friday in New Mexico on Friday night, leaving nearly two dozen people stranded.
The passengers on the Sandia Peak Tramway, a popular tourist attraction in Albuquerque, were stranded due to icy weather, KRQE-TV reported. The attraction was shut down Saturday due to icy and windy conditions, according to its website.
Update 5:55 p.m. EST Jan. 1: Officials with the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday rescued a final person who had become trapped earlier in the day on the Sandie Peak Tramway.
Deputies shared video of the rescue on Facebook.
BCSO Metro Air Assisting with the Rescue of Final Trapped Tramway EmployeeUpdate: 4pm BCSO Metro picked up the final remaining passenger and our mission is complete! Rescue crews hiked off the mountain and almost back to base. What an incredible effort by all involved! Happy New Year, everyone is safe and we are grateful for the positive outcome. 20 passengers have been safely rescued from the Tramway. We are live once again as BCSO, BCFD, NM SAR, and AMRC rescue the solo passenger stuck on the Sandia Peak Tramway.
Posted by Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office on Saturday, January 1, 2022
Earlier, officials with the Bernalillo County Department said the sole person left stranded after 20 others were rescued from a separate gondola was an employee.
Update 4:15 p.m. EST Jan. 1: Multiple people who were trapped on the Sandia Peak Tramway in Albuquerque have been rescued, KOB-TV reported.
In a tweet, Bernalillo County Fire said all 20 people were rescued from Gondola 2. Crews are still working on a rescue plan for one employee who is still in Gondola 1, the agency said.
After a coordinated effort between BCFD, BCSO, NM State Police, and NM Search & Rescue Teams, we are happy to report that the 20 people have been rescued from Gondola 2. Gondola 1 still has one employee and we are actively working are rescue plan.
— BernalilloCountyFire (@BerncoFire) January 1, 2022
Original report: According to Sandia Peak general manager Michael Donovan, the cars became stuck at 10 p.m. MST, the television station reported.
Sandia Peak official Brian Coon told KOB-TV that there was an unusually fast accumulation of ice on one of the cables that made it droop below the tram, making it dangerous to keep moving.
Donavan told KOAT-TV that all of the people in the cars are in good condition and have water and heating blankets aboard the tram.
In a statement, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office said that passengers would be evacuated two at a time. Deputies hoped to begin the evacuations sometime Saturday afternoon.
One of the riders, Colleen Elvidge, posted photos from the tram car in a Facebook post.
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