Worker Dangles From Federal Immigration Building: OCFA

SANTA ANA, CA— Orange County Fire Authority responded to a Santa Ana building where a worker was trapped on a rope, unable to get down. OCFA's technical rescue team arrived at the scene at the 700 block of West Santa Ana Boulevard just before 8:15 a.m. where the worker could be seen dangling from the outside of the building.

The unnamed 48-year-old employee of Western Waterproofing in Orange was repairing concrete on the side of the U.S. Immigration, Customs and Enforcement Building at the time he became stuck, OCFA Capt. Tony Bommarito said. "He was lowering himself down, along with a coworker, when his safety line got stuck at the seventh floor," Bommarito said. While the coworker descended safely, the man remained stuck in place.

Firefighters considered breaking a window on the seventh floor but did not want to injure the man who was still hanging outside the building. Instead, OCFA technical crews went to the roof, and one fighter was lowered to help free the trapped worker.

"This is what we call a high-risk, low-frequency incident," Bommarito said. "They don't happen very often."

Once the worker was freed, technical rescue firefighters then lowered the both men down to the ground, approximately 30 minutes after the call was made.

A crowd of onlookers cheered as the pair returned to safety.

Cal OSHA is investigating the incident.

Photos, courtesy OCFA