SAINT LOUIS, MO (KMOX) - 25 visitors to the Gateway Arch were rescued Friday afternoon after being trapped about two hours in the north leg tram. The elevator taking tourists to the observation deck suddenly halted near the top around 12 noon, and maintenance crews then followed protocols to get it operational again. When that failed, they called the St. Louis Fire Department. "We received the call about 12:30." Fire Captain Garon Mosebly told KMOX. He said the talked to maintenance workers at the scene. "They don't know exactly why the tram malfunctioned. But the good part, the safety systems to keep folks safe worked as they were designed to, essentially freezing or suspending the tram in its place."
Captain Moseby says firefighters took the south tram to reach the stranded compartment. They were considering how to proceed if they could not get the stuck tram moved to where people could get out. He says they began crafting a plan to cut open the tram, but were able to finally get it to move enough to extricate the passengers. Once out, everyone took the south tram down. No injuries were reported, and the south tram continued to carry visitors after the rescue. The north tram remained inoperable until workers can figure out what went wrong and how to keep it from happening again.
"I do not recall a recent call to the Arch." Said the Captain. "Obviously, it's very rare and a very safe operation." He noted the tram's counterweights - like those in an elevator - prevent the trams from falling should something go wrong.