Firefighters rescue workers following scaffolding accident
Firefighters rescue workers hanging on a scaffold in midtown. (July 11, 2012) Credit: AP
The FDNY performed a daring rescue in midtown Wednesday, saving a pair of window washers who were dangling nearly 42 stories in the air.
The scaffolding carrying the washers at 1177 Sixth Ave. malfunctioned and tilted 45 degrees away from the building while it was on the 42nd floor around 10:20 a.m.
The unidentified window washers, one man in his 40s and another in his 60s, were inside the scaffolding and were secured by their safety harnesses, the FDNY said.
"They were in no immediate danger of dropping," a fire department spokesman said.
Sixty firefighters responded and cut the glass to the nearby window and pulled the men inside while thousands of onlookers watched from the streets.
"In that situation you want to pull them through the building, because that is the safest resort," the spokesman said.
The workers were taken to Bellevue Hospital, but were just "shaken up," firefighters said.
Updated now Newsday travel writer Scott Vogel took the ferry over to Block Island for a weekend of fun.
Updated now Newsday travel writer Scott Vogel took the ferry over to Block Island for a weekend of fun.
