Hot air balloon rescue 900 feet in the air
Mar 2, 2026, 6:55 PM
Two people were trapped almost 1,000 feet in the air after the hot air balloon they were in got too close to a cell tower in Texas.
Firefighters had a heart-stopping rescue after a hot air balloon collided with a Texas cell tower Saturday morning, leaving 2 passengers dangling nearly 1,000 feet above the ground.
The Longview Fire Department launched the “high angle rescue” just before 9 a.m. after receiving reports that a rainbow hot air balloon became snagged on a cell tower.
The death defying rescue was captured on drone footage.
The basket was “swinging pretty good in the breeze there” while the petrified passengers clung to the edges for dear life, Lieutenant Steve Winchell said.
First responders used multiple 300-foot ropes to safely remove the passengers from the hot air balloon basket. They lowered the shaken pair “rope by rope” until they were back on the ground.
I don’t think I would ever get back into a hot air balloon after this experience. Thank goodness this story has a happy ending.
Watch the heart dropping video here
