Developing: Bronx Zoo Cable Ride Stops, Strands Dozens Of Sightseers

July 9, 2008 11:27 p.m. EST

Bronx, NY (AHN) - New York City firefighters and rescuers using a crane with a bucket unloaded three stranded passengers from a disabled cable car at the Bronx Zoo Wednesday night.

Repairmen are also rushing to fix a misaligned wheel of the Skyfari cable car so the cable ride will move again and bring 34 other stranded passengers in other cable cars to safety.

The Skyfari stopped at 5:30 p.m. because the wheel of one of 14 gondolas slipped off the cable and automatically shut down the cable ride, leaving zoo sightseers stranded in midair as of 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. The cable ride is about 100 feet above the ground.

No one was hurt from the incident. Rescuers plan to unload passengers with the crane if the disabled gondola is not realigned.