They were stuck for almost 24 hours on a ride that’s usually 15 minutes.
Imagine trying to get home from work and getting stuck in the air. That's how 21 people in Albuquerque, New Mexico, rang in the new year.
Two cars on the Sandia Peak Tramway were carrying tramway and restaurant employees on the last ride of the night when icy conditions shut down the trams.
They were stuck there for nearly 24 hours on a ride that's usually 15 minutes.
High winds slowed down operations, but the sheriff's office says several agencies came together to help stranded passengers and crew.
Managers at the tramway say the cars are stocked with provisions like food, water, and emergency heating blankets. But passengers say temperatures dipped and they were freezing, and they spent New Year's Eve rationing lifesaver gummies and water.
Rescuers had to get to a tower, climb to the tram and set up a rope system to lower people to safety. From there, they hiked with the passengers about 100 yards to a landing site where a helicopter whisked them away a few at a time.
The sheriff's office livestreamed the rescue operation for over an hour, sharing a frightening ordeal those passengers won't soon forget.
