Orlando Crews Involved in High-Angle Rescue

Jun 29, 2009

ORLANDO, Fla. --

A worker was trapped in the ceiling of Lake Nona High School on Narcoossee Road in Orlando Monday and for two hours; no one knew he was there.

The worker was using a scissor lift to get to the top of the school's auditorium and when the lift broke down in the upright position, he got stuck for two hours until another worker happened to come along.

"When we got notification, the worker had been up there nearly two hours," said Chief Jerry Keith of the Orlando Fire Rescue.

The construction worker thanked firefighters who helped him rappel from 35 feet inside the hot high school auditorium.

The ordeal began as the electrical worker found his lift equipment had broken down while he was up three stories working on lights.

Another worker finally came along after two hours, found the man and called rescuers.

"Brought some equipment down here and put some rescuers on the roof and lowered them through a roof hatch and we safely brought the victim down to the ground," said Keith.

Firefighters who entered through the roof hatch first secured the man who was forced to stand the entire time with no room to rest his legs.

"For the most part he was not in any real danger. Once we arrived we attached him with a safety harness so he wouldn't fall out of the bucket," Keith said.

The school isn't open yet, but the incident is not expected to delay construction. Lake Nona High School is scheduled to open in the fall.

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