Two tourists were left stranded high above the ground when Nelson's Skywire ride broke down, the day after a similar mishap in Rotorua.
The Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter winched the uninjured pair to safety about 4pm after the ride stopped suddenly about 4pm on Tuesday.
The $1 million Skywire opened less
than two weeks ago at Happy Valley Adventures in Cable Bay.
Passengers are strapped into a four-person open chair, which travels 150m down a wire into a valley at up to 120 km/h. It costs $85 per person.
The carriage was returning to its base when a gearbox malfunction stopped the wire, co-owner Jill Peterson said yesterday.
"Rescue systems in place assured there was no danger and retrieval all went smoothly, the riders being securely fastened in their seats at all times," she said.
Rescue helicopter pilot Quentin Hulse said it took an hour to winch the pair from the ride and return them to the top of the hill.
One of the tourists seemed to enjoy the experience, taking photographs as his partner was being winched from the machine, he said.
Nelson Occupational Safety and Health, which had tested and certified the ride, is investigating.
The mishap follows an incident at the Skyline Skyrides Gondola in Rotorua on Monday when 90 people were trapped in midair for several hours after a cable snapped.
Rotorua Fire Service and Skyline Skyrides staff rescued the passengers, some of whom were trapped for more than two hours.
The gondola was back in action yesterday after passing final safety tests.
Experts are investigating why a cable on the counterweight, which puts tension on the main rope of the cableway, broke.
- NZPA
