London mayor left dangling

London Mayor Boris Johnson dangles in the air after getting stranded on a zip wire while trying to make a dramatic entry to an London 2012 Olympic party at Victoria Park.

London Mayor Boris Johnson dangles in the air after getting stranded on a zip wire while trying to make a dramatic entry to an London 2012 Olympic party at Victoria Park.

Published Aug 2, 2012

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London’s Mayor Boris Johnson was left hanging around as he got stuck in mid-air on a zip wire.

Johnson tried out the 45-metre high, 320-metre long line in the capital's Victoria Park.

Wearing a hard hat and waving two Union flags, things seemed to go swimmingly. But as he reached the end of the line it rebounded before running out of momentum about 10 metres above the ground.

The mayor was left dangling inelegantly from his harness for about five minutes above a crowd of onlookers who happily snapped photographs.

Always keen to take an opportunity to promote the Olympics, he spent his time cheering on Team GB athletes and encouraging tourists to visit London.

He shouted to helpers: “Get me a rope or a ladder.”

Eventually event staff pulled him to safety.

Johnson then took on a local youngster at table tennis - which he once famously insisted was originally called “wiff waff”.

British Prime Minister David Cameron was asked about the mayor's mishap following a speech to the Global Health Policy Summit in London.

Cameron said: “If any other politician anywhere in the world was stuck on a zip wire it would be a disaster.

“For Boris, it's an absolute triumph.” - Belfast Telegraph

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