Breaking News: Car Breaks NZ Window Cleaner's Fall

EMERGENCY SCENE: The scene of the fall, from approximately five storeys up.

Abseiling window cleaner hurt in fall: A parked car broke the fall of an abseiling window cleaner who fell several stories from a building on the Terrace in Central Wellington today. The man, in his 30s, fell from approximately the 5th floor of a high rise office building from the rope where he was working at 12.18pm. He landed in Bolton St, adjacent to The Terrace. He received emergency treatment at the scene and was transferred to Wellington Hospital with leg and lower back injuries. Wellington Free Ambulance Team Manager Kate Worthington said the incident could have been much more serious if the man's fall was not broken by the parked car. "He is very lucky indeed." A police cordon around the area has now been lifted. Another workman was at the scene but was not injured.

FALL: Emergency services attending an incident on Bolton St in central Wellington, where it appears an abseiling workman has been injured.

An absailing window cleaner in Wellington hit a parked car after a five-storey plunge earlier today.

Car breaks Wellington window cleaner's fall: An abseiling window cleaner was seriously injured today after a falling at least five stories in central Wellington. The man fell from Mayfair House on The Terrace about midday. He was taken to Wellington Hospital in a serious but stable condition, Wellington Free Ambulance team manager Kate Worthington told NZPA. The man, in his 20s or 30s, had been harnessed onto the back of a 10-12 storey building. "At some point during his way down the building, around the sixth floor from the ground level, the harness has failed and he has subsequently fallen approximately five to six stories from there." He hit a parked car, which slowed him down before he hit the concrete, Mrs Worthington said.

He had lower leg and lower back injuries, which appeared to be from where he struck the car, she said. The man remained fully conscious and was talking after the fall. He was "quite upset, as was his colleague who was with him at the time", she said. The car sustained minor damage to its bonnet. The Department of Labour was investigating what happened and why, a spokesman said.

An abseiling window cleaner in New Zealand has been seriously injured falling at least five storeys onto a parked car that has helped brake his descent. The man, aged in his 20s or 30s, was harnessed onto a 10-12 storey building in central Wellington about midday (10am AEST). "At some point during his way down the building, around the sixth floor from the ground level, the harness has failed and he has subsequently fallen approximately five to six storeys from there," an ambulance spokeswoman said. She said he hit a parked car, which slowed him down before hitting the concrete. He suffered leg and back injuries, which appeared to be from where he struck the car, but remained fully conscious and was talking after the fall, she said. He was "quite upset, as was his colleague who was with him at the time", she said. He was taken to Wellington Hospital in a serious but stable condition. The car sustained minor damage to its bonnet.

A window cleaner is in serious condition after falling off a high rise office building on The Terrace in Wellington. Wellington Free Ambulance team manager Kate Worthington says the man was lucky to have had his fall broken by a parked car. She says he fell approximately five storeys onto a car and concrete below when his safety rope gave way. Ms Worthington says the man is now at Wellington Hospital.

Wellington window cleaner survives five-storey fall: An abseiling window cleaner was seriously injured today after a falling at least five stories in central Wellington. The man fell from a building on The Terrace about midday and was taken to Wellington Hospital in a serious but stable condition, Wellington Free Ambulance team manager Kate Worthington said. The man, in his 20s or 30s, had been harnessed onto the back of a 10-12 story building. "At some point during his way down the building, around the sixth floor from the ground level, the harness has failed and he has subsequently fallen approximately five to six stories from there." He hit a parked car, which slowed him down before he hit the concrete, Mrs Worthington said. He had lower leg and lower back injuries, which appeared to be from where he struck the car, Mrs Worthington said. The man remained fully conscious and was talking after the fall. He was "quite upset, as was his colleague who was with him at the time", she said. The car sustained minor damage to its bonnet.