Two people are now on land after beingrescued from a hot air balloonthat got stuck in a communications tower more than 900 feet in the air in rural East Texas.
TheLongview Fire Department said in a Facebook postthat around 8:15 a.m. local time Feb. 28, units responded to a "high angle rescue after a hot air balloon basket carrying two occupants struck a cell phone tower at an estimated height of 920 feet near the intersection" in Gregg County.
Longview, the county seat of Gregg County, is some 130 miles east of Dallas.
Firefighters began climbing operations around 8:50 a.m., "using multiple rope systems due to the extreme height and complexity of the incident," according to the post. Rescuers made contact with the occupants at about 10 a.m., and they were both secured and safe inside the nearby tower by 10:58 a.m.
Both occupants were on the ground by 12:47 p.m. that day, the fire department said. Following the rescue, both victims were conscious, and no injuries were reported, it added.
'Not an everyday rescue'
Lt. Stephen Winchell, a part of Longview's Special Operations Team, saidduring a news conference on Feb. 28that this incident was "not an everyday rescue," as 14 emergency responders climbed the tower to help save the two occupants.
"Our ropes are limited at 300 feet at the most," Winchell said, adding that the balloon was sitting "close to 1,000 feet," so it took about "five or so" ropes to get the occupants all the way down to the ground.
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According to Winchell, the only way up the cell tower was physically climbing it.
In aninterview with local news station KLTV, Chris Jackson, who works for the Longview Fire Department, described the collaborative effort involving several agencies.
"They initially told us that there was a hot air balloon stuck. We were thinking probably in a tree or some type of high aerial. When we got on scene, it was much more than that," Jackson said.
Jackson added that at least 50 first responders and several additional tower engineers were involved in the rescue.
"Anything we could do on the ground to make their operation more efficient is what our guys provided," he said.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Video shows dramatic hot air balloon rescue in Texas
Tiger Woods turns 50 today, Dec. 30, 2025. That's a milestone in and of itself for a man who has set many of those during his career as a professional golfer. 29 years of professional golf, 683 weeks as the world's No. 1 golfer, 82 PGA Tour wins, 15 major championships, and a partridge in a pear tree. Though Woods has somewhat stepped away from the PGA Tour in recent years, focusing on his businesses as well as Tomorrow's Golf League (TGL) as they prepare for their second season, Woods' career still leaves people in awe the more they learn. Woods' dominance on the links cannot be understated. So, as the man of the hour hits five decades, let's take a look back at the ten best moments of his career. Keep in mind, this is a subjective list. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
10. "Better than Most" 2001 Players Championship Ask any golfer and they can tell you the exact putt that the words "Better than Most" come from. The iconic putt was great in and of itself, but it was made legendary by analyst Gary Koch's commentary, repeating "Better than Most" over and over with increasing enthusiasm as it got closer and closer to the hole." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
9. 2000 U.S. Open Woods' dominance is well-documented, but it wasn't always. The 2000 U.S. Open was one of the first tournaments where fans started to realize just how much damage Woods could do. After leading by just one shot after the first round, Woods then kicked his game to another gear, leading by six after 36, ten after 54, and 15 when all was said and done. Woods was the only player in the entire tournament to finish under par. He finished at 12-under." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
8. Woods aces the 16th at 1997 Phoenix Open Often referred to as the "loudest hole in golf", the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale is known for producing legendary moments. Of course, Woods had to add himself to that mix. Woods' ace in 1997 sent the crowd into an absolute frenzy, the kind of eruption that would make Shooter McGavin lose his mind." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
7. Just short? 2005 Masters This is arguably the shot that Woods is most known for. Any golf fan can close their eyes and see the ball stop at the lip of the cup, flashing that iconic Nike logo, and leaving the crowd disappointed just moments before it takes one final turn into the cup and sending everyone into hysterics. The fact it happened at Augusta just added to the legend." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
6. 2022 Masters Woods did not win this tournament, but Woods' career isn't all about the wins, it's also about the resilience, the ability to get back up when you get knocked down. Woods was involved in a pretty serious car crash just 14 months prior to this tournament. Somehow though, Woods still managed to make the cut at the Masters, extending his streak of consecutive Masters cuts made to 22, tying him with Fred Couples and Gary Player for the longest such streaks in history." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
5. "Hello, world" 1996 Fresh off winning the U.S. Amateur for the third time in his young career, the golfing world was waiting in anticipation wondering if Woods would remain an amateur. However, it was clear that there was something in the works. After all, Woods' dad, Earl, had secured a five-year, $40 million deal with Nike, which in all likelihood, wasn't a spur of the moment deal. Woods' iconic "I guess, hello world" marked the beginning of what would become the most iconic professional career in golf history." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
4. The "Tiger Slam" 2000-2001 Not many golfers can say they've won a career Grand Slam. Tiger Woods won all four tournaments in a year. Though some skeptics will say that it doesn't count since they didn't all happen in the same year, those people don't have friends, so who cares what they have to say. Woods won all four major tournaments in a row, making him the defending champ at each of the biggest events in golf. That's like being an undisputed heavyweight champion in boxing, but probably a thousand times less likely. It's very likely that we never see another golfer win all four majors in a row. That's how insane this feat truly was." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
3. 2006 Open Championship Though this wasn't the first or even the second time Woods would win the Open Championship, Woods' victory in 2006 was iconic because of what Woods was dealing with at the time. Woods lost his father, Earl, earlier that year. You can see the emotion on Woods' face after the winning putt as he shares an embrace with his caddie." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
2. 1997 Masters Woods was under a lot of pressure prior to this tournament. He was the young up-and-comer that would bring in a new era of golf. But he'd never won a major, he'd yet to make a major impact on the sport. Then the 1997 Masters happened. He won by 12 strokes, and set a then-record four-round score of 270 (-18). Even more iconic was Woods' resilience in the tournament. Through nine holes, Woods carded a 4-over and was struggling immensely. He then shot four birdies and an eagle on the back nine, finishing the first round at 2-under. That was just a taste of all that was to come." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
1. 2019 Masters By 2019, Woods was well past his prime. He wasn't the same dominant force that shook the Earth when he walked by. Woods hadn't won a major in over a decade. Fans had written him off, but Woods wasn't done. It was a flash from the past that had fans giddy with enjoyment. He didn't dominate like fans were accustomed to years prior, but he managed the win anyway. The best part was definitely him embracing his children behind the 18th green, the same place he hugged his parents after his win in 1997. It was really a full circle moment and an exclamation point on one of the greatest careers ever." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />