New York, NY - The Roosevelt Island tram was stuck for 12 hours Tuesday well into Yom Tov.
A string of miscues delayed the daring rescue operation on the Roosevelt Island tram - leaving many passengers and some on their Choel H'moed enjoyment trip, trapped for nearly 11 hours with little to do but beg for help.
Police and fire officials said they worked in partnership under the city Office of Emergency Management's oversight - even though cops appeared to take a lead role, they all worked under a unified command: NYPD Chief Joseph Esposito, Calvin Drayton of the Office of Emergency Management and Chief Joseph Pfeiffer of the FDNY, with EMS and Hatzolah standing by. Cops and firefighters said they chose to move slowly rather than rushing and risk making a deadly mistake.
11:00
Rescue begins. Cops roll the cage along the tram line to the Roosevelt Island-bound gondola, removing the first 13 people, they reached Roosevelt Island around 11:30 and they were greeted with cheers, cookies and for several that were Chasidic Jews, they had Matzo for them.
