Four arrested after more than 100 people left stranded in midair at California zoo

More than 100 people on the Skyfari Aerial Tram at the San Diego Zoo spent up to two hours dangling in midair when the ride stopped, firefighters reported.

All guests were safely back on the ground after operators were able to restart the ride at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, San Diego firefighters reported on Twitter.

San Diego police arrested four men on suspicion of vandalism after they were seen rocking their gondola, causing an automatic shutdown, KSWB reported. Their names were not released.

“We were just hoping that we were going to get down soon,” rider Hussein Alhamadami told the station.

The ride, which has 28 gondolas holding up to four people each, gives riders “an airborne shortcut over the treetops to the other end of the Zoo, and ... spectacular views of the Zoo and surrounding Balboa Park,” according to the zoo’s website.

Visitors trapped on the ride were given complimentary tickets for a future visit to the zoo, KFMB reported.

“We were walking around seeing the animals and then we look up and everyone’s stuck,” visitor Jordan Gakstatter told KNSD.

This story was originally published January 30, 2022 at 9:58 AM with the headline "Four arrested after more than 100 people left stranded in midair at California zoo."