19 people and a dog were rescued unharmed Monday evening after spending more than four hours trapped in a gondola suspended high above the ground during a summer storm in western Austria. The passengers were riding the Karrenseilbahn, a popular cable car in the state of Vorarlberg, when severe winds struck the area around 3:00 p.m. local time, pushing two of the gondola’s supporting cables out of alignment, according to Austria’s APA news agency. The disruption left one cabin immobilized approximately 250 meters (820 feet) from the mountain station, dangling nearly 80 meters (260 feet) above the forest floor.
The gondola had been operating normally earlier in the day as visitors ascended Karren mountain for scenic views of the Rhine Valley and Lake Constance. However, a sudden storm brought gusts strong enough to derail the cable positioning, stranding the cabin mid-route and halting the system’s operation. Emergency responders initially attempted to deploy a designated rescue gondola, but the displaced cables made that route unsafe. With no clear ground access to the cabin, authorities initiated an aerial rescue.
According to the Austrian broadcaster ORF, a helicopter team from Vorarlberg’s mountain rescue service and emergency medical personnel was dispatched in the early evening. The mission was complicated by the helicopter’s rotor wash, which caused the suspended cabin to sway during the approach. Rescuers managed to land an emergency doctor and mountain rescue technician on top of the gondola. Passengers were then carefully extracted one by one using rope systems. All 19 people and the dog were brought to safety without injuries, authorities confirmed.
The Karrenseilbahn remained out of service Tuesday as technicians worked to assess the damage and determine the cause of the cable derailment. Local officials said no mechanical failure had been identified as of yet, and the storm’s wind appears to have been the primary factor. The cable car, which transports visitors from Dornbirn up to 976 meters (3,202 feet) above sea level, is a popular destination for both locals and tourists. Authorities praised the professionalism of the rescue crews and said a formal review of the incident would be conducted to improve emergency preparedness in extreme weather conditions.
