New York Daily News
(TNS)
Two window washers on a scaffolding outside a Columbus Circle high-rise in Midtown Friday became detached from the facade and began swaying and spinning uncontrollably in the high winds, FDNY officials said.
The FDNY scrambled to 25 Columbus Circle about 9:47 a.m. as the out-of-control scaffolding repeatedly slammed into the side of the building, sending shattered glass raining on the street below.
First responders closed off the streets surrounding the building as firefighters made their way to the 78th floor of the 80-story building, where the scaffolding had broken free from the building.
Video of the incident showed the two workers, who were wearing harnesses but didn’t have their safety lines attached to anything holding on for dear life as the scaffolding swayed and twisted uncontrollably.
“The scaffolding was swinging around and had slammed into the building,” FDNY Deputy Chief Michael Trahan told reporters at the scene. “A window was blown out and there was glass everywhere. We were able to secure it with ropes and bring them in safely.”
Lt. Nick Schneider of Ladder 4 said that when he reached the 78th floor, he immediately felt “a gust of air.”
“I knew that a window had been taken,” he said. “We came into the [apartment] and they were swinging back and forth. The scaffolding was twisting.”
Firefighters managed to secure lines to unmovable objects inside the apartment and toss them to the moving scaffolding. Once the lines were attached, they were able to straighten the scaffolding and bring it closer to the building, Schneider said.
“[The workers] kept trying to stand up in the scaffolding. We kept telling them ‘Sit down!’ ‘Sit down!'” Schneider recalled. “Fortunately both sides remained level because they weren’t secured to anything.”
Firefighters managed to pull the two men inside within a half hour, FDNY officials said. The pair were rushed to New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center where they were given an evaluation and treated for exposure.
Schneider said the two men had safety harnesses on, but the harnesses weren’t attached to the scaffolding or anything else.
If the scaffolding had dipped downwards during its aerial dance, they would have plummeted to their deaths, the lieutenant said.
“This was extremely dangerous for the occupants of the scaffolding as well as for our members,” he said. “The sill to the [broken] window was incredibly low so we were standing on the ledge of an 80-story building. But I couldn’t believe what I was seeing — that they weren’t tied off.”
Firefighters managed to land and secure the hanging basket that the window washers had been using to the roof by Friday afternoon. A private rigging company is on site to remove the basket.
The Department of Buildings did not immediately respond to a question about potential violations.
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