$13.1375 Million To Window Cleaning Survivor

Alcides Moreno: Alcides, a window washer, was working when a malfunction caused the platform to send him and his brother Edgar down 47 stories.

'Antin Ehrlich & Epstein' Helps in Getting Amount of $13.1375 Million to Survivor Who Fell from Roof of Building (New York, NY): The lawyers of 'Antin Ehrlich & Epstein' have helped the survivor to get a claim of $13.1375 Million from the owner of the building. The worker fell from the 47th floor of the building due to the negligence in safety.

Antin Ehrlich &Epstein, a well-known law firm for accident and injury attorneys has helped a survivor who fell from the roof to get the amount of $13.1375 Million. The settlement was done by one of the NYC personal injury lawyers at Antin. Sources have confirmed that the survivor is the window washer. He was cleaning the widow of a 47 story building. Due to negligence in safety by the building owners and the scaffolding company for the worker, the survivor fell from the 47th floor of the building. Though, doctors were able to save the life of the window washer.

Speaking to the media, one of the lawyers of the law firm said, "This case was really important for us. We wanted that the survivor should get justice. Every life is precious. We had the complete evidence that the person fell from the building because of safety negligence."

The lawyers of 'Antin Ehrlich & Epstein' argued about the safety measures in the court and asked to settle the situation if the owner of the building pays the amount of $13.1375 Million to the survivor. The case was settled in New York. Also here.

Window Cleaning In The Courts

Canada, Hong Kong & UK in the law courts.

R v. Skyreach Window Cleaning Inc. (unreported, October 28, 2014, Ontario Ct. Jus Triantafilopoulos J.P.) - This case was a prosecution under the “general duty clause” alleging that the employer failed to take the reasonable precaution of showing workers a user manual for a custom built swing stage system on a building.  A piece of the swing-stage had fallen off the device to the ground below.  The Crown alleged that the swing stage had been improperly parked.

The Court granted a non-suit motion brought by the defence on the basis that the user manual did not specifically specify that the machine should be parked in any particular place for safety purposes. The Court also found that nobody had provided a user manual to the employer in any event.

This case is one example of a prosecution based on an alleged failure of an employer to show a worker the user manual.  In such cases careful attention should be paid to what the manual actually requires the worker to do from a safety perspective and whether other types of training addressed the issues set out in the manual.

What employers should know

The best way to avoid a prosecution, not to mention potentially devastating workplace accidents, is to ensure your due diligence program is fully implemented and continually refreshed and improved.  At the 2015 Ontario employment law conference, employment lawyer Ryan Conlin will provide guidance on scope of employer OH&S duties. This session will review:

Changes to the definition of a "worker" under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its implications,

Recent cases involving criminal prosecutions and jail terms for employers and corporate officers, and

Trends in enforcement of the Act by the Ministry of Labour and how to manage Ministry investigations.

Attending the 16th annual Ontario Employment Law Conference, presented by Stringer LLP and First Reference Inc., is more essential than ever.

The Ontario Employment Law Conference will take place at the Centre for Health & Safety Innovation in Mississauga on June 4, 2015. We look forward to seeing you and helping you apply the latest employment and labour law changes.

Measures to prevent accidents arising from window cleaning: Hong Kong (HKSAR) - Following is a question by the Hon Chan Kin-por and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Mr Paul Chan, in the Legislative Council today: Question:

It has been reported that in recent years, accidents have happened from time to time in which people sustained injuries or even died as a result of falling from heights when cleaning windows. The causes for such accidents include that people fell from heights because they had lost balance due to overstretching of their bodies from windows, or people fell from heights together with dilapidated windows whichhad been dislodged as the latter could not support their body weights. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the number and resultant casualties of accidents in which people fell from heights when cleaning windows; if it has, of the statistics in the past five years; if not, whether it will collect such statistics in future;

(2) given that a number of private buildings are not included in the Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme at present, of the measures that the authorities have put in place to ensure window safety of such buildings;

(3) of the procedures adopted by the authorities at present for inspecting and repairing windows of public rental housing blocks; and the monitoring measures in place to ensure that the inspection procedures comply with the relevant safety requirements; and

(4) of the current publicity work through which people are reminded of the need to pay attention to safety when cleaning windows; whether the publicity channels include television announcements in the public interest, or posters posted in the lift lobbies of buildings; the amount of resources deployed by the Government for conducting the relevant publicity work in each of the past five years; whether it has plans to allocate more resources this year to conduct large-scale territory-wide publicity activities with a view to enhancing the coverage of the publicity work, or to create a cartoon character similar to the "Big Waster" in the Food Wise Hong Kong Campaign in order to enhance public awareness about safety in window cleaning in a lively manner; if it does, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

Hon Chan's question touches on matters under the purview of different bureaux and departments. My reply to the four-part question, in consultation with the relevant bureaux and departments, is as follows:

(1) Relevant departments have not maintained statistics on accidents in which members of the public fell from heights when cleaning windows. According to the records of the Labour Department, between 2010 and 2014, there were four accidents in which employees fell from heights when cleaning windows, involving four deceased employees.

(2) The Buildings Department (BD) fully implemented the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme and the Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme (MWIS) on June 30, 2012 to tackle the problem of building neglect at source. According to the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap.

123), MWIS applies to private buildings aged 10 years or above (except domestic buildings not exceeding three storeys). BD may issue a statutory notice to the owners of these buildings, requiring them to appoint a qualified person within a specified timeframe to carry out a prescribed inspection and supervise the prescribed repair works found necessary of the windows of the building.

Building owners are responsible for properly maintaining and managing their properties. We encourage owners to carry out regular inspections and repairs of their windows as necessary on their own initiative to ensure safety.

Even if a building is not included in MWIS, where BD has identified dangerous or defective windows, it will take enforcement action under BO, including issuing a repair order to the owner requiring him to carry out repair works, and instigating prosecution against owners who have not complied with the repair orders. BD, the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) and the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) have also launched various schemes to provide financial and technical support to building owners in need to assist them in maintaining and repairing their properties including windows.

(3) The Hong Kong Housing Authority attaches great importance to building safety, including window safety, of its public rental housing (PRH) flats. While MWIS does not cover PRH flats, the Total Maintenance Scheme of the Housing Department (HD) includes window inspection which is conducted by trained inspectors.

If there is a need to repair the windows, the case will be referred to contractors registered under BO. HD will also supervise the repair works to ensure its quality.

(4) BD has launched television and radio Announcements of Public Interest (APIs) in respect of window safety, published a booklet "Important Notes about Window Safety", etc. to provide practical information about proper maintenance and repair of aluminium windows, minor works relating to windows and MWIS to the public for reference.

The "Important Notes about Window Safety" booklet has been uploaded to BD's website. BD will regularly arrange the APIs to be broadcast on television, radio and public transport vehicles. It will also launch newspaper supplements and issue letters to owners' corporations (OCs) and mutual aid committees to remind building owners and occupiers to pay attention to safety when cleaning windows.

Moreover, BD will organise large-scale publicity events for members of the public such as "Building Safety Carnival" and "Building Safety Week" to enhance their understanding of the importance of building and window safety through diversified activities. To complement the launch of MWIS, BD, in collaboration with HKHS and URA, will organise district briefing sessions for owners of target buildings throughout the territory to explain the details of the scheme. BD will also attend residents' meetings and seminars arranged or organised by district organisations or OCs to publicise MWIS in the community and answer residents' enquiries.

BD will continue to promote window safety through different channels. The relevant work is part of the overall duties of BD in promoting building safety and there is no breakdown of the expenditure for the related work. As regards whether publicity would be carried out by means of a cartoon character, BD will adopt an open mind in considering the suggestion.

Concerning PRH, through various channels, HD from time to time reminds tenants of the proper use of windows and draws their attention to the safety issues when cleaning windows, including posting up notices, holding estate activities, distributing newsletters, etc.

In order to prevent accidents, HD also reminds tenants to immediately report any damages to windows in their units to the estate offices for repair.

Separately, the Occupational Safety and Health Council (OSHC) has issued publications relating to the work of domestic helpers, which covers safety measures for household window cleaning. OSHC will also continue to organise regularly courses on working-at-height safety for household workers and domestic helpers and publicity activities to enhance their safety awareness of window cleaning.

Man died after Royal London doctors ignored his symptoms: Doctors missed out on many chances to save the life of a stained glass window craftsman who died of a rare complication after he fell off a ladder.  

Edward Perry, 57, fractured his spine on February 28 2013 whilst trying to get a suitcase out of the loft at his home in Victoria Park Road for a holiday to Portugal. His daughter was told by doctors at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel that his injury was very common and he would be out of hospital within a week, but by March 8 he was dead.

An inquest at Poplar Coroner’s Court heard how doctors failed to act on the fact that his stomach had swollen up by March 2 through paralysis of the bowel, a rare complication of spinal injury caused by surrounding nerve damage. Eventually he suffered “catastrophic vomiting” and cardiac arrest.

Dr Bunker, ICU consultant and anaesthetist, who was drafted in after a year to lead the delayed investigation into his death, said it had been repeatedly noticed in the medical records he had a distended abdomen. He said: “We could have intervened more aggressively to prevent what happened on the night of March 7, the trouble is we continued a conservative approach on the 4, 5 and 6 despite him not getting better.”

However the barrister acting for the family said: “When you say the conservative approach was adopted regarding the abdomen, that’s not the case is it? There was no plan in place regarding the abdomen.” 
Dr Bunker agreed and went on to detail how junior members of staff now receive training on how to manage deteriorating patients, and how neurosurgeons are responsible “not only at the brain and nerves but the whole patient”.

There was also a recognition the major trauma centre was understaffed, as there was only one registrar working that night. Coroner William Dolman recorded a narrative verdict, ruling Mr Perry died of an extremely rare complication of a spinal injury caused by a fall, which wasn’t recognised in time.

He said: “From the facts we are getting very close to neglect but we don’t reach the standard required by law. The real problem arose because the gravity of the clinical picture was not appreciated, the doctors saw the signs but didn’t recognise their significance.”

UK Window Cleaning News

On a ledge five metres up a window cleaner with a death wish, a closer look reveals the narrowness of the ledge.

Another mad window cleaner: Spotted in London, UK , a man cleaning windows from a narrow unprotected ledge around five metres in the air. The man was cleaning the windows above the Blanche Eatery in Kensington Church Street, West London. He had obviously climbed out onto the ledge from window and is trying to hang on to the stonework. The slightest wrong move and he would have fallen onto the pavement below. While he may well have killed himself, he could easily have landed on a pedestrian and killed or injured them instead! The ledge is so narrow he has to splay his feet sideways to fit them on it.

Health & Safety Stays At The NEC - The Health & Safety Event (11th - 13th March 2014 - NEC, Birmingham): Reducing downtime by keeping staff safe and healthy is fundamental to business success. However, 9.6 million work days are lost each year as a result of employees suffering from the 'winter blues' according to new research from Epson. The survey of over 1,000 UK office workers, carried out by Opinium, found that 20% of Brits admit to calling in sick because of Seasonal Affective Disorder. At the new Health & Safety Event, which launches at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre (NEC) on 11-13th March 2014, you can discover solutions to keep your workforce safe and healthy, and seek advice on how to boost motivation levels.

Innovative products and services from over 100 leading suppliers will be showcased at the Exhibition, and industry experts will deliver thought-provoking presentations on topical health and safety issues at the FREE Conference, which is supported by the British Safety Council. Optimising machine and building efficiency are also key to reducing business downtime, which is why The Health & Safety Event is co-locating with leading maintenance, plant and asset management event MAINTEC 2014 - now in its 39th year - and Facilities Management 2014, the main event for facilities managers. With one badge providing access to three FREE shows, you and your colleagues can visit over 350 of the most respected suppliers in these sectors all under one roof. Pre-register to attend The Health & Safety Event.

Man threw sausage roll at Plymouth shop worker in rage: A sausage roll was thrown at a shop worker when a disgruntled customer flew into a rage over 50p, a court heard. Plymouth magistrates’ court was told that Benjamin Davis, 31, shouted expletives and threw a sausage roll at staff after being told his coin was no longer legal. He admitted the charge of using abusive or insulting words to cause alarm or distress, but denied throwing the pastry. She said the defendant used loose change to pay for his goods but was told by the cashier that he had given her a 50-pence piece which was out of date.

Davis, of Mount Gould Road, began swearing abusively at her and other shop staff, heard the court. Ms Searle said he was asked to leave the premises but instead snatched back his change and then threw a sausage roll in the direction of one of the employees. She added: “He shouted, ‘You better watch yourself’, which the manager perceived as a threat towards her and the staff. "They were shocked and alarmed by the behaviour.”

Davis also pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of controlled drugs, including amphetamine, cannabis and diazepam. The drugs had been found in his house on October 8 last year after police secured a warrant to search his property. The court was told that Davis took drugs for pain relief after he fell off a ladder while working as a window cleaner more than two years ago.

Alex Travers, representing Davis, said: “These offences were health and pain related. At the shop, he says he was feeling short-tempered because of the pain.” District Judge Davison told the defendant that his actions had been unacceptable. He said: “Of all the things I have been told about you, the behaviour in the Spar shop is the most concerning. “You can tell yourself that behaviour like that is down to pain suffering but do not expect the court to accept that. “There is no need for people working in shops to be subject to such disgraceful behaviour.” He issued a 12-month community order with Davis to attend a drug engage programme. The benefits claimant was ordered to pay costs of £85 and a £60 victim surcharge. The drugs seized from his home were ordered to be destroyed.

Window cleaner Dave Bird, from Winsford, surprised even himself after coming through the Professional Darts Corporation’s qualifying school on Thursday to win a tour place. The 34-year-old, who has broken into the Cheshire A team in the past 12 months, began with a win over two-time major quarter finalist Mark Hylton. He saw off Andrew Johnson and Kevin Voornhout before enjoying a 5-1 win over Steve Hine, who has previously played in the UK Open’s last eight. On a roll, Bird went on to defeat Ian McFarlane without dropping a leg and bettered Brian Woods 5-3 in a decider to win a tour card at the end of only his second day of professional competition. “I’m astonished,” he said. “I always thought it was possible that I’d win a tour card as I know what I can do, but I’m speechless to have done it in two days at Q School.

“Reaching the last 32 on the first day really helped me, and even though I was playing some pretty big names today I kept focused on my darts. “I just shut up shop and didn’t let who I was playing bother me. Luckily it came good!” He added: “I’ve only been playing for eight years and in the past 12 months or so I’ve made it into the Cheshire team and played alongside a few guys who play on the PDC circuit like Stuart Kellett and Dave Pallett. “I’ll join them in the PDC now and see how the year goes. “I’m fortunate enough that my boss is one of my biggest fans; since I started working for him he’s helped out giving me time off to play darts. I hope that continues now!”

Concerns have been raised over the safety of windows in Southend tower blocks after it was revealed panes of glass could fall out. South Essex Homes, which manages the flats for Southend Council, has put screws in to stop the windows opening more than a few inches, even though the double glazing was only fitted about five years ago. The housing association says residents will face eviction if they defy the move, which is also designed to prevent tenants throwing bulky items from the windows. Many tenants in the notorious Quantock flats, one of those affected, are fuming that they can’t get enough air in or clean their windows and have demanded they are replaced so they can use them properly.

Rachel Ringer, 85, on the fourth floor of the building, which has 105 flats, has avoided the order because she owns her own flat. She said: “I was told it was to stop people throwing things out the window. “There have been TVs, videos and even stews thrown out while I have been here, but there was one man on the 13th floor cleaning his window when the whole pane fell out and luckily he went backwards or would have gone with it.” She said the council said she would have to comply but, as a leaseholder, she felt she could resist it.

Rose Chapman, 81, who lives on the third floor, complained to South EssexHomes, after her windows were restricted. She said: “You can only open it two notches now. “There is no way I can properly clean the outside of the windows now and in the summer it will get too hot. “They have warned us if we remove the screws we could be thrown out. “All they have said is they will now clean the windows twice a year, instead of once, so we don’t have to bother, but who only cleans their window twice a year? “I have said if the windows are not safe, they should replace them so we can use them properly.”

In response to Mrs Chapman’s complaint, Bradley Staff, of South Essex Homes, replied: “The restrictors were required to be fitted due to health and safety reasons. “It has been found that should the windows be reversed unevenly or left in a reversed position, there is a small risk the pivot pin holding the window may be damaged, resulting in the window becoming unsafe.”

He added, following feedback from residents concerned about being unable to clean their windows, the annual clean at Quantock had been increased to twice yearly. A South Essex Homes spokeswoman said: “The restrictors prevent the windows being pivoted beyond the designed normal ventilation position, but still allow for normal ventilation. “There are no actual faults with the windows, but this has been introduced as a precautionary measure for the safety of residents, which is paramount. “All residents were advised of the need to have these restrictors fitted.”

South Essex Homes has only just brought in the restriction, despite a man nearly plummeting from the 13th floor when a pane fell out nearly four years ago. The man was washing the window of his flat, in Quantock when it fell 13 floors and smashed on the ground. Luckily the stool the man was standing on fell backwards and he avoided injury. It was at least the second time a window fell from the 13th floor. In a previous incident, it happened above the main walkway into the building. Luckily, the woman managed to catch the pane of glass as it slipped out of its frame.

Windows make the difference for apartment blocks: Metal Technology has supplied £500,000 of the System 1-35 Hi+(high insulation) Top Swing Fully Reversible windows for the refurbishment of three apartment blocks for Aberdeen City Council. The overall project was to refurbish three multi storey tower blocks in Balnagask , Aberdeen. The work was undertaken by housing refurbishment specialist Lovell, with installation of the windows carried out by Cumbernauld based CMS Enviro Window Systems.

Approximately 1200 triple-glazed opening vents were installed on three apartment blocks in a programme designed to upgrade the flats' energy efficiency and external appearance. Extra investment in aesthetic values was made with rainscreen cladding adding the final touches. It is a high performance, thermally enhanced top swing window that offers many advantages over other types of window. Easily and safely cleaned from within the building by reversing the window through 180°, the window has safety restrictors built in to ensure that it can be restrained securely in the ventilation or reverse position.

A risk assessment associated with cleaning windows from within a building, BS 8213: Pt.1:1991 (Table 1) rates this type of window as among the safest. Other advantages include the facility to reverse the window through 180° without the window projecting inwards into the room - avoiding possible damage to blinds and curtains. On the Balnagask scheme, the system 1-35Hi+ in conjunction with the correct glass specification achieved a window U value of 1.3W/m2K. Glazing thicknesses of up to 47mm can be accommodated within the system.

Windows cleaned during tram work: People living near tram works in part of Nottingham are getting their windows cleaned for free. Residents close to the former Great Central Railway embankment, which runs through Wilford and Compton Acres, started receiving a monthly window cleaning service in November. It followed concerns about dust and dirt on windows and ledges from the works. The monthly service will be provided until April. Cleaning takes place in the week of January 27 in the Compton Acres and Ruddington Lane areas and in the weeks of February 24, March 24 and April 21.

Olympic Aquatics centre gets ready to open to public in the spring: The new look for the Olympic legacy Aquatics centre with its 2,800 square metres of glass can now be seen at the Olympic Park ready to be opened to the public in the spring.The temporary outdoor seating stands have been removed which were used during the 2012 Games to hold 17,500 spectators. The £251 million world-class venue is staging the 2014 World Diving series and 2016 European Swimming championships. The three pools hold 10 million litres of water and are lined with 180,000 tiles. There are 600,000 tiles in the whole building and 628 panes of glass covering 2,800 square metres.

The glass has a screen printed dot matrix pattern which varies in size to help control daylight and restrict potential glare. Window cleaners will use cherry pickers to reach the high bits. The steel framework of the 145ft high building has hot water running through it like a giant radiator to prevent condensation forming on the glass. The wave-like roof is 430ft long and up to 240ft wide, resting on just three concrete supports, making it a longer single span than Heathrow’s Terminal 5.

Removing temporary Olympic venues has been going on since the autumn as well as creating more open parkland areas. The Copper Box Arena and parts of the North Park opened to the public in July, including the new Timber Lodge community centre, Unity Kitchen café and Tumbling Bay playground. The rest of the park opens to the public this spring.

Bogus window cleaners on the loose in Islington, warn police: Crooks who pose as window cleaners to scope out homes and steal expensive Christmas presents are being targeted by police. Officers have sent out a warning about the bogus workmen, who appear at homes unannounced looking into vacant windows as they clean, or go into homes to clean the inside, then steal valuables. The public is urged to check to ensure that window cleaners have proper identification. Neighbourhood teams will also be patrolling, on the lookout for anything suspicious. Det Con Jason Mayes, from Islington’s burglary and robbery team, said: “At a time just after Christmas and the New Year when the home is likely to be full of new and expensive presents, we have been made aware of an increasing number of bogus callers and distraction burglars. “Burglars posing as window cleaners are entering the homes of elderly and vulnerable members of the public and stealing their possessions. “We are appealing for residents and members of the public to be vigilant and report to us any unusual behaviour.” Call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Man was stabbed in chest following earlier row about cigarettes, Norwich Crown Court hears - A man who was stabbed in the chest by a woman in her flat said the moment was “like something out of a horror movie” a court has heard.Norwich Crown Court heard the 64-year-old complainant had only met Jacquie Duffy a week or so before he was allegedly stabbed in the chest by the defendant in a flat on July 31 last year.

Giving evidence, the complainant, a part-time window cleaner, said both he and Duffy had been drinking at her flat and had gone out to buy tobacco and alcohol. He later returned to her flat where an argument developed as he had got her the wrong cigarettes. The complainant said he was “fed up of her moaning” and went for a lie down on her bed after taking off all his clothes, apart from his socks.

Duffy later joined him on the bed, wearing her pyjamas and a dressing gown, but was later touched by the complainant for what he described as “comfort” rather than for sexual gratification. He said she then got out of bed and went to the living room. The complainant followed Duffy and told Hugh Vass, prosecuting, that it was in the living room where “the knife came out”.

Found on Amazon: Just for laughs..

Gerry Follis private and sexual life of master window cleaner: Gerry Follis was brought up through the Northern Ireland troubles. This is one true remarkable story of A man held wrongly in A mental institution by A disturbed doctor for making A remark to the doctor. Only for good luck the doctor was found out and Gerry was released, came out did two successful television Guinness records for window cleaning speed. After filling his life time ambition turned away millions of pounds including fame to honour his jealous wife. Gerry experienced his own outer-body death experience after he died three minutes from A motorcycle accident at the age of 17, from that day Gerry experienced strange true paranormal behaviour through his life. The second part of this book is in sexual nature. Gerry Follis brings his life experience on women sexual behaviour, Loyalty. Betrayal. Lust. Advance signals. Attraction. Jealousy. And true sexual stories. Read here. More badly written ebooks by the same author here.

Alcides Moreno

Window Washer Lives to Tell About Fall From 47 Floors Up. New Video here.

The "miracle" window washer who survived a 47-story fall from a New York City skyscraper said today in an exclusive interview on "Good Morning America" that he's grateful to be alive and that the Big Apple is his home. "This is home forever' Alcides "Miguel" Moreno, an Ecuadorean immigrant, told Diane Sawyer. It was a moving coda to an extraordinary story of survival, one that continues as the unimaginably lucky Moreno grows stronger each day. Moreno and his brother plummeted from the city skyline in December after their scaffolding snapped. His brother died. Through tears -- and a little laughter -- Moreno talked about how good it was to be alive, lovingly referring to his devoted wife and family. "I'm thinking, talking about my life," he said, "I have children." The hospital originally described Moreno's condition as a "complete disaster," that included several broken limbs and severe internal injuries. Doctors were unsure if Moreno would ever walk again, and when he could return home. But Moreno, 37, continues to surprise doctors, performing a miraculous recovery, returning home and even walking again. On a cold morning, Moreno and his younger brother, Edgar, woke up at 4 a.m. to go to work together, washing windows as they had done for the previous 12 years. But on that Dec. 7, 2007, the cables holding their scaffolding snapped and dropped the brothers, at up to 125 mph, to the city's concrete more than 550 feet below. Edgar, 30, died instantly. Moreno managed to hold on, riding the scaffolding like a surfboard to the ground. Astonished rescue workers found Moreno alive. He was even sitting up, holding his hands to his chest. "No one actually believed he's alive, falling from this height," paramedic Michael Kremenizer said.
Doctors called it a miracle. "I don't know what adjective you'd care to use, unprecedented, extraordinary," said Philip Barrie, a doctor at New York Presbyterian Hospital. "If you are a believer in miracles, this would be one." Moreno suffered a broken arm, two broken legs and severe injuries to his chest, abdomen and spine. A small army of doctors drilled a hole in his brain to reduce swelling, pumping 24 units of blood into his battered body before eventually inducing him into a coma. It came to be known by the local media as "the legend of the fall." Not only did Moreno survive, but he eventually woke up. On Christmas Day, Moreno emerged from the coma, reaching for his wife. At a news conference, his stunned wife, Rosario "Rosie" Moreno, did not know what to say. "I don't know what to tell you. I'm still at awe," she said last year. "I'm still in shock." Only four months after the accident, Moreno checked out of Kessler Rehab Center in New Jersey. And, miraculously, he left walking on his own two feet. Gesturing to the right side of his body, Moreno said, "I land[ed] on this part, you know, all this part." And even though he still has pain, he says it is "much better." As his body heals, Moreno has continued to regain more of his memory. "That means a lot to me, when I start to remember my neighbors. Once I remember my house and the city where I live," Moreno said. While Moreno has fond memories of his younger brother, he also now has memories of his brother falling. "Yesterday, I remembered my brother and I was crying a little bit," he said. "That was the only thing since this happened that I remember." Although Moreno was a U.S. citizen before the accident, his brother, Edgar, was not. The paperwork arrived after his death. Continuing to defy conventional wisdom, Moreno is making significant progress. Now, only six months after that terrifying morning, he is walking completely on his own. His recovery is one that he says he could not have done without wife Rosie, who kept constant vigil on a tiny couch next to his hospital bed. "This is home forever," Moreno said. "I mean, look, I have me a Puerto Rican girl." She may be Puerto Rican to his Ecuadorian, but Moreno declared proudly that their home is the life they have built together, with their three children: Michael, 14; Mariah, 8; and Andrew, 6. Now, he cheers at Mariah's soccer games, enjoys family barbecues as the summer melts away and spends Sunday mornings at church, where friends welcomed him back from a miracle that no one could have imagined.

Another reason for keeping clear of cradles!

Related News: "Gusting winds left a pair of window washers stranded 35 storeys in the air at Place Montreal Trust. Their work platform started swinging so hard from side to side that "at one point, it was perpendicular to the building and was blowing in the wind," said Jeff Smith, an office worker in the downtown building. Smith and his co-workers watched on the edge of their seats with a "front row view" as the cleaners clung to the platform for nearly a half hour, Smith told CBC Radio. They eventually gained access to the building on another floor through a broken window, he said."