This footage comes from inside one of the cable cars that left 153 skiers stranded for 7 hours high above the Italian resort of Cervinia in the Aosta Valley close to the Swiss border. The description of the video was translated from Italian as follows:

“Terrible moments of real fear! The cable car crashes. It goes down after 6 hours the lucky.”

As reported yesterday, the cable cars stopped at an altitude of more than 2,500m (8,366ft). Gusts up to 93mph left the cable cars swinging almost horizontally. DW.com reports rescuers had “to climb poles to reach the cables between the cable cars and then enter the cabins through a roof hatch. The skiers were then winched to safety on the ground.” The operation involved 150 rescuers and ended just before midnight. 

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Francis Xavier is a seasoned writer for Unofficial Networks, bringing a lifetime of outdoor experience to his work. Having lived in a ski resort town for years he has a deep connection to mountain culture....