A man was left in extremely critical condition Sunday morning after falling from a ladder and landing on a lower apartment roof in north Phoenix. Firefighters were called to the scene around 9 a.m. and had to use an aerial ladder truck to reach him before rushing him to a nearby hospital.
The fall happened at an apartment complex near 31st Street and Paradise Lane, between Bell and Greenway roads, according to Arizona's Family. The outlet reports the man was working on a two-story building when he fell off the ladder and landed on a lower roof below.
Fire crews used an aerial ladder to reach the man and get him safely down before transporting him to a hospital for treatment, the station's report states. No firefighters were injured during the rescue effort.
Cause Of The Fall Still Unclear
Officials have not said whether weather played any role in the accident, per the same account. No further details about the man's condition, the hospital he was taken to, or what he was doing on the building have been released.
A separate report from 12 News similarly described a man working on an apartment roof in Phoenix as being in extremely critical condition after a fall, citing the fire department.
Ladder Falls Remain A Persistent Workplace Hazard
Falls from heights, including ladders, are a well-documented danger in construction and maintenance work nationwide. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, falls are the leading cause of death in construction, with 389 fatal falls to a lower level recorded out of 1,034 total construction fatalities in 2024.
Federal labor data show ladder-related fatalities have fluctuated in recent years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 161 fatal work injuries in which ladders were the primary source in 2020, a 5.8 percent decline from the 171 deaths recorded in 2019.
A separate review from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that among fatal ladder fall injuries, falls from heights of 6 to 10 feet were the most common, though they accounted for only 28 percent of all such fatalities. The CDC notes that falls, particularly those involving ladders, contribute substantially to workplace injuries overall.
None of that national data describes the specific circumstances of Sunday's incident in north Phoenix, and officials have not released additional information about what led to the man's fall.
