Seven people suffered minor injuries after an aerial camera and its cables fell in the Rio De Janeiro Olympic Park yesterday afternoon.
Pollyanna Padua, an Olympic worker who was working nearby, said the cable fell about 65 feet and injured two adult women.
She said they were given first aid at the site of the crash but described the injuries as “light.” Padua said the women were transported to a local hospital.
Flavio Oliveira, a medical interpreter and nursing student from Cape Cod, witnessed the crash and said the cable of the camera hit one of the women in the neck. He said: “There was no blood. But [the girl] was crying, crying, crying.”
The Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), operate the camera and described the accident in a statement:
“At approximately 13.30, the pulling rope of the Olympic Park cable camera, which is responsible for its movement, was down in the Olympic Park. At that time OBS dispatched a unit to investigate the situation.
“A determination was made to clear the area and start recovering the pulling rope. At that time the camera was at the height of 10 meters above the concourse, supported by the two independent guide ropes, each one of which could carry the full load of the camera.
“Immediately OBS requested a cherry picker to arrive at the area to access the camera. A few minutes later, both ropes simultaneously broke. This resulted in the camera falling from a height of 20 meters onto a lower concourse. Rio 2016 Security and National Forces mobilised immediately and provided assistance.”
The OBS went on to say: “According to local medical authorities, there were seven minor injuries that have received medical attention. A full investigation has been launched.”
Games officials placed barricades around the crash site, which is at the entrance of Arena Carioca 2, which hosts wrestling and judo.
People crowded around the scene and stopped along an elevated walkway to take pictures.
