Fourteen firefighters climbed 925 feet to save two pilots

A hot-air balloon struck the tallest communications tower in Longview, Texas, on Saturday, Feb. 28, leaving two pilots dangling 925 feet above the ground. Rick James, 73, and Megan Reynolds, 38, had launched at 7 a.m. for an hour of gentle flying when a 24 mph gust pushed them into the tower. The basket caught on a guy wire. Below them, one cable after another snapped. Fourteen firefighters from the Longview Fire Department climbed to reach them, higher than any of them had ever gone. Cliff Patrick stopped every 50 or 60 feet to shake out his forearms. Partway up, his friend Lt. Stephen Winchell called down, "Have I ever told you I don't love heights?" He meant it. The crew hauled James and Reynolds across to the tower on ropes, then lowered them by hand, a couple hundred feet at a time. The rescue took nearly three hours. The firefighters gave up their own helmets to protect the pilots.