Window Cleaners Stranded - Scaffold Malfunction - Jersey City

Two workers are rescued from jammed scaffold 17 stories above Washington Boulevard in Jersey City: The two workers stranded 17 stories above Washington Boulevard in Jersey City for 90 minutes have been rescued by Jersey City firefighters, Jersey Journal reporter Michaelangelo Conte reports from the scene. The workers, who apparently were cleaning the the windows at 480 Washington Boulevard, got stuck outside the 17th floor when one of the ropes of their scaffold jammed, Jersey City Fire Director Armando Roman said. Since the scaffold could not be raised or lowered, rescue workers smashed a large window on the 17th floor of the Downtown office building, raining down shards of glass on the sidewalk. After taking a few minutes to clean any remaining jagged pieces of glass from the window frame, firefighters pulled the two workers to safety.

More here: Jersey City firefighters make dramatic rescue of window washers stranded 170 feet in the air. Two window washers dangled 17 stories above a Jersey City street for 90 minutes after a cable on their scaffold jammed yesterday and firefighters had to smash a window to rescue them. Firefighters responding to the 2:47 p.m. call found the men working on a high-rise office building high above Washington Boulevard and Sixth Street and cordoned off the area as they worked to remove the window, Fire Director Armando Roman said. The workers stood at the far right of the scaffold until about 4:15, when firefighters sent glass shards cascading down the face of 480 Washington Blvd. The firefighters removed the remaining glass from the opening, fitted the workers with harnesses and then the men climbed up the railing of the scaffold and were helped into the building. After the workers were secure, a firefighter leaned out the opening and gave a thumbs-up sign to firefighters and police officers below.
"The guys did a great job," said Roman, who was at the scene. "It was a double-pane window and they were able to remove the inner panel, but the outer one was more secure and had to be broken. It was a very positive conclusion to a serious situation." The window washers had water with them on the scaffold and the weather was breezy and warm. News helicopters hovered nearby as they hung suspended from cables stretching from the building's roof 150 feet above their scaffold.



Jersey Journal reporter Michaelangelo Conte reports from the scene that the two men are stuck on a scaffold outside a window on the 17th floor of 480 Washington Boulevard, a 32-story glass office building on the corner of Sixth Street Downtown. The two men are huddled together at the right side of the scaffold. Jersey City Fire Director Armando Roman said rescue workers plan to attempt to cut a hole in one of the windows to bring the workers to safety. The scaffold is anchored to the roof 15 floors above, but apparently has malfunctioned and cannot be raised the 150 feet.