YourNNY Your Source for News & Sports in Northern New York

Workers rescued after dangling from scaffolding at Milwaukee courthouse

Heavy urban rescue team races against time to save worker precariously suspended from Milwaukee County Courthouse scaffolding

DEANNA. WE NOW KNOW HOW WIDE THAT LEDGE IS, RIGHT? SO WHEN WHEN I GOT HERE, THERE WAS A GUY RIGHT ABOUT AT THAT LEDGE. SPOT ON THE ANGLED BERGLUND PIECE OF MACHINERY. AND THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE, OBVIOUSLY THE ONE THAT NEEDED RESCUED DOWN QUITE A BIT LOWER AT THE THE RIGHT ANGLE OR THE, THE END OF THE 45 DEGREE ANGLE. AND HERE THEY COME. THEY’RE WALKING BACK ACROSS COUNT THEM. THERE’S ONE THERE’S TWO THERE. SO WE’RE MISSING ONE. WE HAVE ONE LEFT. BUT THAT IS ONE PERSON FROM THE ANGLED PIECE OF MACHINERY. NOW GOING TO THE FLAT PIECE OF MACHINERY AND IT LOOKS LIKE HE’S STEPPING BACK OVER. AND HE IS NOW ON THAT FLAT PIECE OF MACHINERY, ASSUMING IN A SAFE SPOT WITH THE OTHER TWO GUYS. THERE’S TWO OTHER GUYS ON THE BERGLUND PIECE THAT GOT HOISTED UP THAT THEY HOISTED UP TO THAT SPOT. I’M GOING TO GUESS THAT THAT SAME GUY WITH SOME SORT OF, SOME SORT OF MECHANISM TO STRAP HIMSELF IN, SOME SORT OF HARNESS IS NOW YOU CAN SEE HIM WALKING LEFT TO RIGHT ACROSS YOUR SCREEN, GOING TO GO BACK TO THAT SAME SPOT TO GET THE OTHER GUY, WHICH WOULD THEN THEORETICALLY END THIS RESCUE AND SAVE THAT PERSON WHO WAS ON THE ANGLED SPOT. YOU CAN SEE HIM WALKING ACROSS THERE. I WOULD SAY IF THE BUILDING IS 11 STORIES TALL, 175FT, HE’S PROBABLY 160FT IN THE AIR RIGHT NOW. STRAPPED IN, YOU CAN SEE A ROPE BEHIND HIM GOING TO GRAB THE OTHER GUY. I CAN SEE HIM JUST BARELY TO THE LEFT OF THAT BERGLUND SIGN AS IT FLAPS IN THE WIND. YOU CAN SEE A BRIGHT GREEN CHARTREUSE SHIRT, AND IF YOU GIVE IT ABOUT, I WOULD SAY 30S. HE’S GOING TO STEP OVER THE BROKEN PIECE OF MACHINERY AND THEN WALK BACK ACROSS THE LEDGE WITH THE OTHER GUY AS THE MILWAUKEE FIRE DEPARTMENT ONE STILL STRADDLING TWO OTHERS, EITHER GUIDING OR LOOKING OVER THE EDGE HERE AS THEY STEP OUT OF THAT, BERGLUND SPOT GUY IN THE NOW, JAMES, AS WE WAIT FOR LEDGE HERE, AS WE BACK RIGHT TO LEFT ACROSS YOUR SCREEN. YEAH. AS WE WAIT FOR THEM TO WALK BACK INTO THE SCAFFOLDING THAT THAT SEEMS TO BE FUNCTIONING AS IT SHOULD CORRECTLY, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT ACCORDING TO A MILWAUKEE COUNTY SPOKESPERSON, THE WORKERS AT THE COURTHOUSE WERE DOING ROUTINE FACADE WORK AT THE TOP OF THE BUILDING, SO THE COUNTY HAS USED THESE CONTRACTORS IN THE PAST, AND THEY’VE BEEN THERE THIS WEEK DOING AND COMPLETING THE WORK ON TOP OF THE MILWAUKEE COUNTY COURTHOUSE. COUNTY OFFICIALS RIGHT NOW ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED, AS WE, OF COURSE, WAIT FOR DETAILS ON WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING DOWN. BUT IT’S WE’RE SEEING THIS UNFOLD. THIS IS REALLY REMARKABLE TO WATCH BECAUSE THIS IS TERRIFYING. I CAN’T IMAGINE BEING THERE, EVEN WATCHING FROM THE GROUND AS THIS RESCUE HAPPENS. AND AT THE TOP RIGHT OF YOUR SCREEN, YOU DO SEE FIREFIGHTERS ON SCENE. THERE ASSISTING WITH THIS RESCUE. BUT IT’S REALLY REMARKABLE TO WATCH. YOU SAW THEM COME UP FROM THE GROUND UP AND TRY AND WALK OVER ON THAT LEDGE TO RESCUE THAT OTHER WORKER, AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE LOOKING AT NOW. IT APPEARS THAT THEY HAVE THAT SECOND WORKER. YOU’RE LOOKING LIVE AT TWO PEOPLE WALKING. WHAT WAS THAT? JAMES? AND I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, YEAH, THEY’RE BOTH WALKING BACK ACROSS. AND NOW THEY’RE GETTING TO THAT FUNCTIONING PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. SO THAT WOULD BE THE LAST PERSON. AND THERE WAS ONLY TWO PEOPLE ON THAT ANGLED PIECE OF MACHINERY. THAT WOULD BE THE LAST PERSON WHO IS NOW IN SAFETY. AND NOW THAT OTHER ROPE COMING OVER THE THE TOP OF THE COURTHOUSE. BUT ALL FOUR MEN SAFELY ON THAT BERGLUND PIECE OF MACHINERY HANGING PROPERLY, AS IT SHOULD OVER THE EDGE OF THE MILWAUKEE COUNTY COURTHOUSE, APPEARS TO BE WITH NO INJURIES AT ALL. THES

Workers rescued after dangling from scaffolding at Milwaukee courthouse

Heavy urban rescue team races against time to save worker precariously suspended from Milwaukee County Courthouse scaffolding

Two workers were safely rescued after being trapped on a tilted scaffolding at the Milwaukee County Courthouse in Wisconsin, prompting a swift response from the city’s heavy urban rescue team.”While it is visually spectacular, it has been brought to a safe conclusion.” Milwaukee’s Fire Chief Aaron Lipski said. “I want to emphasize there were no injuries.”According to the fire department Chief, dispatchers were informed at 2:48 p.m. that there had been a scaffolding failure, leaving two people trapped on a platform hanging at an odd angle off the side of the building.”We were over here in under a minute,” Lipski said. “We had a heavy urban Rescue Team Assignment dispatched. That is our technical rescue team that would handle high-angle rescues like this.”Upon arrival, firefighters used a PA system to communicate with the trapped workers, assuring them that help was on the way. The rescue team then lowered a radio to establish direct communication with the individuals, evaluating their condition and any potential injuries.The incident was part of an ongoing courthouse facade restoration project, currently in its third phase. The cause of the scaffolding failure is yet to be determined and will be subject to a follow-up investigation.Inspector Dobson of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that they arrived on scene shortly after the incident and will remain throughout the night to ensure public safety in case of any equipment failures.The construction company is sending additional personnel to address the tilted scaffolding, which has been secured twice over to prevent any immediate danger.

MILWAUKEE —

Two workers were safely rescued after being trapped on a tilted scaffolding at the Milwaukee County Courthouse in Wisconsin, prompting a swift response from the city’s heavy urban rescue team.

“While it is visually spectacular, it has been brought to a safe conclusion.” Milwaukee’s Fire Chief Aaron Lipski said. “I want to emphasize there were no injuries.”

According to the fire department Chief, dispatchers were informed at 2:48 p.m. that there had been a scaffolding failure, leaving two people trapped on a platform hanging at an odd angle off the side of the building.

“We were over here in under a minute,” Lipski said. “We had a heavy urban Rescue Team Assignment dispatched. That is our technical rescue team that would handle high-angle rescues like this.”

Upon arrival, firefighters used a PA system to communicate with the trapped workers, assuring them that help was on the way. The rescue team then lowered a radio to establish direct communication with the individuals, evaluating their condition and any potential injuries.

The incident was part of an ongoing courthouse facade restoration project, currently in its third phase. The cause of the scaffolding failure is yet to be determined and will be subject to a follow-up investigation.

Inspector Dobson of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that they arrived on scene shortly after the incident and will remain throughout the night to ensure public safety in case of any equipment failures.

The construction company is sending additional personnel to address the tilted scaffolding, which has been secured twice over to prevent any immediate danger.