Aug. 29--New Braunfels firefighters were able to safely remove a high school student from atop a 125-foot light fixture Wednesday night after he left campus in the afternoon, refused to go back to class and climbed the fixture at the football stadium.
Just past 8:30 p.m., firefighters approached the student with an extended bucket truck that placed a firefighter at eye level with the young man, according to the New Braunfels newspaper Herald Zeitung.
The newspaper provided live updates on its Facebook page as the situation unfolded. It reported that once the firefighter was close enough, the student appeared to get into a harness and then into the bucket with the firefighter. It was lowered to the ground and the student was placed on a gurney and began receiving medical attention from first responders, according to the updates.
Rebecca Villarreal, director of communications with New Braunfels Independent School District, confirmed the student is enrolled at New Braunfels High School, but did not disclose his name.
The light fixture is at Unicorn Stadium adjacent to the school. All after-school outdoor activities were canceled Wednesday, Villarreal said.
New Braunfels police and fire units responded about 2 p.m., established a cordon around the light fixture and escorted students to the parking lot and routed them to the other end of the building as school let out at 4 p.m., Police Capt. John McDonald said.
McDonald confirmed that firefighters had given the student water and a cellphone so they could communicate with him as the situation dragged on. Officials have not reported what drove the student to climb the tower in the first place.
Villarreal didn't specify if the student would face any disciplinary action.
The high school is home to more than 2,000 students.
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