2 Workers Rescued from Scaffolding Hanging Off of High-Rise Building’s 78th Floor as Glass Was ‘Raining’ Down on Street

Mar. 15, 2025

Two workers have been rescued after getting stranded on scaffolding that was hanging off of a New York City’s high-rise building’s 78th floor.

The New York City Fire Department said in apress conferencethat they received a report of workers in need of help just before 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 28,  in the Columbus Circle area.

A screenshot of the scaffolding hanging off a building in New York City on Feb. 28, 2025.FOX 5 New York/YouTube

FOX 5 New York/YouTube

When firefighters got to the scene, they found the scaffolding “wasn’t attached” and had been “swinging around and smacking into the building,” raining glass “all over the street,” FDNY Deputy Chief Michael Trahan said.

“I could feel a gust of air,” recalled Lt. Nick Schneider with Ladder 4, who responded to the call. “I knew that the window had been taken at that point. [We] came into the room and they were swinging back and forth and the scaffolding was twisting.”

Schneider said they “tied off the right side of the scaffolding” with ropes in order to secure it. Firefighters had advised the workers to “sit down” on the scaffolding as they attempted their rescue and reeled them in back to the building.

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While the workers had been wearing “harnesses,” the scaffolding that they were on had originally not been “secured with safety lines,” which led to the “extremely dangerous” situation,” Schneider said.

“It was extremely dangerous obviously for the occupants of the scaffolding, but initially when we got on scene it was extremely dangerous for the members of the FDNY,” he explained.

“There was broken glass everywhere. [There] was a high wind factor blowing into the building. There was glass pretty much raining all over the sidewalk when we pulled up,” he continued. “But also we had to be careful for our members that we’re operating essentially on the ledge of a 78 story building. So it was very difficult for us.”

Schneider said that he had no idea why the scaffolding was “spinning” in that way, but noted that it had been “extremely windy” that day.

source: people.com