A 120-foot Sky-Dining date gone wrong might spell the end for the trend after children were trapped mid-air for hours

A family enjoying a panoramic meal 120 feet above the ground in Kerala, India, found their experience turn into a nearly four-hour nightmare this weekend when their crane-operated sky-dining platform abruptly froze. This terrifying malfunction left two adults, their two young children, and an employee stranded mid-air, raising serious questions about the safety of these increasingly popular elevated attractions.

The newly opened attraction lifts guests high above the ground on a suspended platform so they can enjoy a unique, panoramic dining experience. The standard experience is supposed to last about 30 minutes, but this particular run stalled shortly after 12:45 PM while the platform was at its full operational height, per Fox. Imagine being stuck that high up with young kids; that’s absolutely awful.

The technical failure was serious. Officials reported that the hydraulic system powering the lift suddenly failed, leaving the group completely stuck with no way to lower the structure. Authorities later pointed toward a technical fault, possibly related to an electrical fuse, as the likely culprit that disabled the crucial hydraulic system.

There is some danger in dining 120 feet above the ground

When you’re stuck 120 feet in the air, you’d think the rescue operation would be immediate and swift. Unfortunately, rescue officials said the entire operation stretched to nearly four hours because the distress call was made so late. That’s a massive amount of time for anyone to be suspended in the air, especially young children. The rescue finally wrapped up around 4:30 PM, making for a truly grueling afternoon.

We’ve seen bad experiences at Michelin-star restaurants, but you want everything to go well when you’re dangling in the air. Luckily, no one got their meals snatched, and they all ended up okay.

Firefighters from nearby stations, along with local police and Home Guard personnel, had to work together to pull off a complex rescue. Video footage from the scene shows how difficult this must have been, with firefighters having to climb ropes just to reach the stranded guests. Once they got to the platform, the crews secured each person in a harness and individually brought all five occupants down safely.

The good news is that once the rescue teams were on site, getting everyone back down took only about 30 minutes, according to the news agency SWNS. No injuries were reported, which is a miracle considering the height and the length of time they were stranded.

While everyone got down safely, this incident is a huge red flag for the entire sky-dining industry. It really highlights the vulnerability of these unique attractions. You’re putting your trust entirely in a hydraulic system that’s holding you dozens of stories up.

Here’s the part that really concerns me: officials noted that crane-lifted dining experiences are not currently covered under the state’s Adventure Tourism regulations. That means these attractions are operating in a regulatory gray area, which is incredibly risky when human lives are involved.