I’m not a fan of hot air balloons, and this is the main reason why.
Two people in Texas were stranded for hours after their hot air balloon crashed into a cell phone tower.
Videos of the incident show the passengers in the hot air balloon dangling thousands of feet above the ground as they waited for rescuers.
The New York Post reported more on the crash and the rescue efforts:
Two people were saved in a heart-stopping rescue after their hot air balloon collided with a Texas cell tower Saturday morning, leaving them 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 balloon’s envelope was punctured by the sharp edges of the 1,100-foot tower and was left dangling roughly 920 feet above the ground, according to the fire department.
Stomach-dropping photos shared by the department showed the tattered balloon trapped in the tower’s bars as its basket, with the two people inside, swung back and forth in the wind.
Fourteen rescuers, including both on and off-duty responders, scaled the tower and made contact with the frazzled victims by 10 a.m. Both were still conscious and didn’t report any injuries suffered during the crash, the fire department 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, fire officials said at a press conference.
Here was the scene:
INSANE: 2 people were trapped 925 feet in the air after a hot air balloon collided with a communications tower in Gregg County, Texas pic.twitter.com/JdO68GaRWa
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) March 2, 2026
Another look:
Hot Air Balloon Collides with Communications Tower in Texas | Two People Stranded at 925 Feet
A hot air balloon collided with a communications tower while in flight in Gregg County, Texas. Following the impact, two people on board were left stranded at approximately 925 feet… pic.twitter.com/LLP4zNGtAc
— AirwayBuzz (@AirwayBuzz) March 2, 2026
Longview Special Operations Lieutenant Stephen Winchell gave God credit in the successful rescue mission.
In a statement, he shared, “Climbing 1,000 feet up, 1,000 feet down, for some of them, with a bunch of heavy gear and rope, is a very physically taxing event. I’m thankful for their sweat-equity, and the Lord being with us.”
