A young couple with two children who were visiting the city of Munnara tourist attraction in the district of Kerala in India, opted for one of the experiences most chosen by tourists: dine in the clouds. However, one mechanical failure left them stranded in the aerial platform where the restaurant operates, 50 meters high.
Known as «sky dinner«, the modality consists of a gastronomic experience in which a maximum of 20 diners are elevated to 45 meters high or more – which is equivalent to a ten-story building -, using a craneand then taste gourmet food with unique panoramic views.
Southern Skies Aerodynamics, the airborne restaurant where the family was stranded for two hours. (Video Capture X @HateDetectors)With their feet suspended in the air, tourists remain seated with seat belts in special seats, which can even be reclined into a semi-horizontal position to look at the sky.
This time the experience was terrifying for Muhammed Safwan31 years old, his wife, Thoufeena25, and her two children, who live in Kozhikode and were out for a few days in Munnar.
They went up to the restaurant Southern Skies Aerodynamicsa proposal that forms part of the hill district’s adventure tourism program, designed to attract visitors with unique dining experiences high in the landscape.
They enjoyed the local cuisine, but when it was time to go down, they were informed that something was not working right. The platform did not lower due to technical problems with the hydraulic lever and a sensor failure.
Two hours stranded at 50 meters high: rescue with a net and a rope
According to the newspaper The Sunthe event occurred on Friday, November 28 around two in the afternoon, when the family of four people, including two children, had to be rescued after almost two hours stranded in the air.
Fire and rescue teams from Munnar and Adimali arrived at 4 pm. Emergency workers climbed ropes to reach the suspended dining platform and check that everyone is in good health.
After calming them down, the rescue operation began. A net was placed under the crane to prevent any fatal falls in case something went wrong during the descent.
The procedure was explained to them and they had to go down one by one through a rope system, with the help of the rescuers.
The children and Thoufeena came down first, followed by Safwan and Haripriya; then a 28-year-old restaurant worker, and finally half an hour after the experts arrived, everyone was safely on the ground.
They had to descend a rope one by one. (Video capture @HateDetectors)«The staff is trained for this type of emergency, there was no panic because we have protocols,» the air restaurant workers indicated in dialogue with the local press.
However, authorities said they will investigate the incident due to concerns among residents. They believe it was caused by an alleged «hydraulic failure in the crane» and assured that they will corroborate the installation conditions of the air base.
The moment when the children’s mother came down safe and sound. (Video Capture X @HateDetectors)Witnesses told local media that the family remained calm despite the terrifying moment they experienced, and that from above they heard the screams of the tumult of people watching from below.
As the hours went by, more people came to see what was happening. Several residents filmed the videos that later went viral on the social network X, showing how they descended after remaining suspended, and the crowd watching from below. Fortunately, there were no injuries and the four family members returned safely.
