German Firefighters Ejected from Rescue Basket During Training
Two firefighters were ejected from the rescue basket of an aerial ladder from the Kiel Professional Fire Department in Germany Thursday morning.
The firefighters were training on skills for aerial ladder operators at the Plön fire training facility in Preetz when the incident happened.
A spokesperson told FireWorld.at that ropes, which are part of the Marigus ladder's extension system, broke. The ladder, which was fully extended, appeared to retract while two firefighters were in the rescue basket at the tip.
Both firefighters were thrown from the bucket, but were wearing fall protection equipment which prevented them from falling nearly 30 feet.
One firefighter, the website reports, was left dangling from the rescue basket for some time.
The firefighters were treated and taken to the hospital for treatment, with officials calling the injuries serious.
In a statement to FireWorld.at, Marigus said: "The reason for the technical defect is currently unknown. Our engineers will carry out a comprehensive investigation from Monday to determine the cause of the incident. Our thoughts are with the injured firefighters and their families. We wish them a speedy recovery and their relatives a lot of strength in this difficult time."
Peter Matthews | Editor-in-Chief/Conference Director
Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood, NY. Matthews served as photographer for the St. Paul, MN, Fire Department.
