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| Stuck in a Cable Car High Above Mont Blanc, Waiting for Rescue | Stuck in a Cable Car High Above Mont Blanc, Waiting for Rescue |
| (8 days later) | |
| For the nearly three dozen passengers who dangled in cable cars over the glaciers of Mont Blanc, it was a long, cold and — in most cases — sleepless night. | For the nearly three dozen passengers who dangled in cable cars over the glaciers of Mont Blanc, it was a long, cold and — in most cases — sleepless night. |
| Their ordeal began at around 2 p.m. local time on Thursday, in the Mont Blanc massif near Chamonix, in the French Alps, when 12 cable cars abruptly halted in midair, after their cables became tangled between the Aiguille du Midi in France and Pointe Helbronner in Italy. | Their ordeal began at around 2 p.m. local time on Thursday, in the Mont Blanc massif near Chamonix, in the French Alps, when 12 cable cars abruptly halted in midair, after their cables became tangled between the Aiguille du Midi in France and Pointe Helbronner in Italy. |
| The system of cable cars can carry up to 140 people, who can enjoy a spectacular panoramic view. Some are climbers trying to scale the area’s snow-capped mountains. The trip takes 30 minutes, and on Thursday there were passengers in nine of the cars. | The system of cable cars can carry up to 140 people, who can enjoy a spectacular panoramic view. Some are climbers trying to scale the area’s snow-capped mountains. The trip takes 30 minutes, and on Thursday there were passengers in nine of the cars. |
| All together 110 people were trapped at an altitude of 12,500 feet, including Koreans, Britons, Americans and Italians, among them several children and an older man. After efforts to untangle the cables failed, rescuers were able to retrieve 65 people by winching them up into helicopters starting around 5:30 p.m. | |
| A dozen more passengers were evacuated by an Italian rescue team, which helped them to descend vertically by rope to safety, which they were able to do since their cable car was close to the ground. | A dozen more passengers were evacuated by an Italian rescue team, which helped them to descend vertically by rope to safety, which they were able to do since their cable car was close to the ground. |
| But when night fell, making it perilous for the rescue helicopters to operate, the emergency operation was suspended. That left 33 people, including a 10-year old boy, suspended over Mont Blanc in seven cars, French officials said Friday. Thus began a seemingly interminable night that the stranded passengers described as one of fear, boredom and panic. | But when night fell, making it perilous for the rescue helicopters to operate, the emergency operation was suspended. That left 33 people, including a 10-year old boy, suspended over Mont Blanc in seven cars, French officials said Friday. Thus began a seemingly interminable night that the stranded passengers described as one of fear, boredom and panic. |
| One of the passengers, who identified himself only as Clément and spent the night in the cable car, told the French television channel BFMTV that he and his fellow passengers had fought off the fear and the cold by playing games and chatting. | One of the passengers, who identified himself only as Clément and spent the night in the cable car, told the French television channel BFMTV that he and his fellow passengers had fought off the fear and the cold by playing games and chatting. |
| “In the beginning, we were very confident because we knew we had the survival blankets,” he said. “Around 2 or 3 a.m., we realized that it was quite cold and then around 4, 5 a.m., it got quite hard because even the survival blankets were not enough.” | “In the beginning, we were very confident because we knew we had the survival blankets,” he said. “Around 2 or 3 a.m., we realized that it was quite cold and then around 4, 5 a.m., it got quite hard because even the survival blankets were not enough.” |
| As the night went on, they started to play Pyramid, a word game. “It got boring after a while, then we chatted with the other people,” he told the broadcaster. “We also called a lot on the phone to get information or updates and we were a little scared. We got bored a lot.” | As the night went on, they started to play Pyramid, a word game. “It got boring after a while, then we chatted with the other people,” he told the broadcaster. “We also called a lot on the phone to get information or updates and we were a little scared. We got bored a lot.” |
| He said his fear was magnified by the sight of a Korean family in the cable car ahead of his, who seemed in distress and unable to communicate. He said people in his cable car yelled to tell them where they could find survival blankets. | He said his fear was magnified by the sight of a Korean family in the cable car ahead of his, who seemed in distress and unable to communicate. He said people in his cable car yelled to tell them where they could find survival blankets. |
| Rescue workers remained with passengers in five of the cars, and provided the passengers with food and blankets to fend off the chill. The rescue workers reached the area by snowmobile before flying by helicopter over the cable cars, harnessing themselves to the cables, climbing along to the cars and then dropping through the car’s hatches, French authorities said. | Rescue workers remained with passengers in five of the cars, and provided the passengers with food and blankets to fend off the chill. The rescue workers reached the area by snowmobile before flying by helicopter over the cable cars, harnessing themselves to the cables, climbing along to the cars and then dropping through the car’s hatches, French authorities said. |
| Mathieu Dechavanne, the chief executive of the company that manages the cable cars, said the helicopters were necessary because the glacial ground underneath was fragile. “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,” he said. | Mathieu Dechavanne, the chief executive of the company that manages the cable cars, said the helicopters were necessary because the glacial ground underneath was fragile. “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,” he said. |
| Mr. Dechavanne said that each of the cars had a survival kit with cereal bars, water and survival blankets, and that the company had contacted the passengers by phone to keep them informed of what was happening. He said that two of the cable cars did not have rescue workers with them. | Mr. Dechavanne said that each of the cars had a survival kit with cereal bars, water and survival blankets, and that the company had contacted the passengers by phone to keep them informed of what was happening. He said that two of the cable cars did not have rescue workers with them. |
| The rescue effort resumed Friday at around 6:30 a.m., when technicians untangled the supporting and towing cables that had become crossed in several places. The cable cars were back in service at about 8:30 a.m., officials said. They also said that without the added weight of those passengers rescued the day before, it was easier to untangle the cables. | The rescue effort resumed Friday at around 6:30 a.m., when technicians untangled the supporting and towing cables that had become crossed in several places. The cable cars were back in service at about 8:30 a.m., officials said. They also said that without the added weight of those passengers rescued the day before, it was easier to untangle the cables. |
| All the occupants of the cable cars are “safe and sound,” the French Interior Ministry said in a statement Friday, adding that the passengers who were trapped overnight had French and Italian rescue workers by their side throughout the ordeal. | All the occupants of the cable cars are “safe and sound,” the French Interior Ministry said in a statement Friday, adding that the passengers who were trapped overnight had French and Italian rescue workers by their side throughout the ordeal. |
| Mario Mochet, 63, an Italian mountain guide who assisted with the rescue effort, said that the passengers “were never in a huge amount of danger.” | Mario Mochet, 63, an Italian mountain guide who assisted with the rescue effort, said that the passengers “were never in a huge amount of danger.” |
| “People panic at first but after a few hours they’re just very happy to be rescued,” he said. “We explained that this was an exceptional situation, that everything would be fine, that we would do everything necessary to bring them down safely, without problems.” | “People panic at first but after a few hours they’re just very happy to be rescued,” he said. “We explained that this was an exceptional situation, that everything would be fine, that we would do everything necessary to bring them down safely, without problems.” |
| Antoine Burnet, the marketing director for the Mont Blanc Company, which manages and operates ski lifts and the cable-car service for ski areas and tourist sites there, described the rescued passengers as “tired but calm” on Friday. An older man was taken to the hospital with hypothermia, he said, but was not in danger. | Antoine Burnet, the marketing director for the Mont Blanc Company, which manages and operates ski lifts and the cable-car service for ski areas and tourist sites there, described the rescued passengers as “tired but calm” on Friday. An older man was taken to the hospital with hypothermia, he said, but was not in danger. |
| Mr. Burnet said that the reason the cables had crossed was unclear. “It can be caused by strong winds, which can stop the process, but there will be an investigation,” he said. | Mr. Burnet said that the reason the cables had crossed was unclear. “It can be caused by strong winds, which can stop the process, but there will be an investigation,” he said. |
| Mario Mochet, 63, mountain guide and member of the Aosta Valley rescue team, who has been on the job for 40 years and whose team helped rescue some of the passengers, said such incidents were rare. | Mario Mochet, 63, mountain guide and member of the Aosta Valley rescue team, who has been on the job for 40 years and whose team helped rescue some of the passengers, said such incidents were rare. |
| “The cable cars work pretty well,” he said. “But every now and again, this can happen.” | “The cable cars work pretty well,” he said. “But every now and again, this can happen.” |