What to Know
- Two firefighters rescued workers, one left dangling, when the platform they were using on the side of an Atlantic City building failed.
- The scaffolding was about six floors up when it collapsed on one side Monday morning.
- Witnesses said the dangling worker had been on the side that collapsed, while the other remained on the scaffold.
Firefighters rescued two workers, one who was left dangling stories up, after a hanging construction platform partially collapsed on the side of an Atlantic City building Monday morning.
A worker in an orange shirt could be see dangling about six stories above the sidewalk at Atlantic and Kentucky avenues around 10:30 a.m.
"I just seen a man dangling from the building," witness Qasim Woods said.
Members of the Atlantic City Fire Department "Rescue One" happened to be getting a bite to eat at a shopping center around the corner when the collapse occurred. They immediately called for additional help.
"One guy was dangling from his harness, trying to keep his arms and feet from being tangled in the ropes," Atlantic City Fire Chief Scott Evans said. "The other guy was just holding onto the scaffolding itself."
Firefighters who were inside the building pulled both men to safety through windows. No one was hurt.
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"They were real lucky that the company was right around the corner," Chief Evans said.
Authorities say the two men were doing masonry work on the exterior of the building, and the collapse occurred as they started to descend.
One of the workers cut the power supply moments after the malfunction, Evans said.
The workers declined comment, and authorities have not released their names. Woods told NBC10 one of the workers didn't seem phased by the frightening incident.
"I was standing next to him when he was talking to the police officer," Woods said. "He said he was ready to go back to work."
The exact cause of the collapse remained under investigation. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration was notified.
NBC10 reached out to the scaffolding company but we have not yet heard back from them.
