Two window washers found themselves in a harrowing situation today when high winds caught their unsecured scaffold outside a Columbus Circle high-rise, leading to a dramatic rescue operation. The workers were outside the 78th floor of 25 Columbus Circle when the rig began to swing uncontrollably, according to NBC New York. As the scaffold hit the side of the building, it shattered a window and sent shards of glass showering onto the street below.
The FDNY stepped in to bring the scaffold close enough to the high-rise to secure the workers' safety, both of whom were immediately taken to a hospital as a precaution and are expected to recover fully. Though no injuries occurred among passersby below despite the falling debris, the treacherous incident unfolded above 58th Street, which was temporarily closed between Eighth and Ninth Avenues, causing quite the spectacle and public alarm.
As per ABC 7, the FDNY was forced to break additional windows to facilitate the rescue, substantially adding to the risk and complexity of the operation. Once they realized the workers weren't attached to the scaffold by safety lines, emergency responders swung into action to secure them to safety lines within the bucket, explained FDNY Deputy Chief Michael Trahan in an unnervingly close call.
FDNY Lt. Chief Nick Schneider later detailed the precarious nature of the rescue, stating, "We're operating essentially on the edge of a 78-story building, so it was very difficult to us, but I couldn't believe what I was seeing, that they weren't tied off, they kept trying to stand up and we kept telling them sit down, sit down, they weren't secured to anything," as noted by ABC 7.
The Department of Buildings has launched an investigation into the incident, seeking to understand why the window washers were not properly secured at the time of the incident.
