Boris Johnson leads Olympics cheers while dangling in air - KAIT-Jonesboro, AR-News, weather, sports

London mayor hangs above crowd after zip wire fail

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By Matt Quillen - email
London Mayor Boris Johnson had a bit of bad luck Wednesday, left hanging after a failed trip down a zip line. (Source: Rebecca Denton/Twitter) London Mayor Boris Johnson had a bit of bad luck Wednesday, left hanging after a failed trip down a zip line. (Source: Rebecca Denton/Twitter)
Johnson remained "on line" for about five minutes. (Source: Rebecca Denton/Twitter) Johnson remained "on line" for about five minutes. (Source: Rebecca Denton/Twitter)

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(RNN) – London's mayor falling down, falling down, falli … Never mind, he stopped.

Mayor and Olympic cheerleader Boris Johnson strapped onto a zip line Wednesday and slid down in front of a crowd in Victoria Park. Waving a pair of Union Jacks, dressed in a dapper suit, Johnson descended to loud cheers and applause, as seen in a London Tonight exclusive.

But his ride came to an early stop, leaving him dangling about 12 feet (or 3.6576 meters - it is London) above the audience.

"Can you get me a rope?" Johnson asked. "Get me a rope, OK?"

As the leader of the 16th most populated city in the world dangled overhead for about five minutes, residents and tourists did the only reasonable thing: They pulled out their cameras and phones.

He's fine, by the way.

The congenial mayor managed to keep his British cool throughout, according to The Telegraph. When asked how he was, he replied "very, very well thank you."  

Johnson even got a cheer going for his country's newest Olympic champions, to help pass the time.

"After a while, he started getting the crowd to cheer for the [England] rowers who won the gold medal," Peter Downes from Canterbury told The Telegraph.

"It was really funny."

Copyright 2012 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.

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