Being buffeted by strong winds, high above the ground, might not be everyone’s idea of an ideal Saturday evening.
But it was all in a good cause as Police joined their emergency services counterparts in a Search and Rescue exercise centred on the Christchurch Gondola this month.
The exercise involved 65 rescue personnel from Police, Christchurch Alpine and Cliff Rescue, Fire and Emergency, Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management Group, LandSAR, Red Cross and Amateur Radio Emergency Communications.
Over the course of three hours, 11 people - including 2 children - were rescued from gondola cars and lowered to the ground.
The weather added a degree of realism, with very strong winds that at times approached the Gondola’s safe operating limits.
Once on the ground some of the casualties had to be stretchered down the steep terrain to safety. Finally they were medically assessed and any welfare needs met.
ACR Team Leader and main organiser Jason Tweedie says everyone involved felt the exercise was a great success and enjoyed working together to achieve a common goal.
"The exercise was a great opportunity for the local rescue teams to practise working together,” he says. “To get everyone down safely each team had to use their specialist skills."