NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Two window washers were rescued Friday morning after their scaffolding was left swinging wildly outside a high-rise near Columbus Circle, forcing FDNY crews into a high-risk operation to pull them to safety.
Videos of the scene circulated on the Citizen app around 9:45 a.m., showing the workers stranded 78 stories above the ground on West 58th Street as the scaffolding swayed and twisted in the wind.
According to FDNY officials, crews had to break windows to reach the workers and pull them inside the building. Both workers were rescued safely and are in stable condition, FDNY Lt. Nick Schneider confirmed during a press conference.
"I couldn't believe what I was seeing…the fact that they weren't tied off," Schneider said. "They were swinging back and forth, and the scaffolding was twisting. We were able to get eyes on the two occupants and confirm that they were inside the scaffolding and they were not secured. They weren't tied off."
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The operation required careful maneuvering on the ledge of a 78-story skyscraper.
"We had to be careful for our members who were essentially operating on the ledge of a 78-story building. It was very difficult for us," he said.
The FDNY's elite Rescue One team first secured the workers with life safety lines before pulling them closer to the building.
FDNY officials said the rescue was executed quickly and effectively despite the extreme height and risk involved. An investigation is underway into how the scaffolding became unstable and why the workers were not properly secured.
