PALMETTO BAY, Fla. – Two construction workers were rescued Tuesday morning after a scaffolding partially gave way in Palmetto Bay.
The scaffolding accident was reported about 9 a.m. at the Palmetto Bay Village Center, 18001 Old Cutler Road. The building once served as the headquarters for Burger King.
Sky 10 arrived as one worker was clinging to the side of the building and the other was perched on the top of the scaffolding, which was leaning to one side.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue firefighter Maggie Castro led the rescue effort.
"We attempted to get to the patient with the platform truck, but it couldn't reach the patient," Castro told Local 10 News.
So the rescue team had to improvise to get both men to terra firma.
Castro rappelled down the side of the building to reach the man who was dangling by his safety harness. She attached him to her harness and helped him into the bucket at the top of the ladder truck that lowered him to the ground.
"You're not really thinking about anything that you're feeling at that moment," Castro said. "You're just doing the job that you know, that you trained to do."
Castro then climbed up the roof and rappelled down the building again to reach the other worker.
Both men were evaluated by paramedics.
Marcos Rodriguez, vice president of Florida Lemark Corp., said his employees were inspecting damage on the side of the building when the scaffolding gave out. He said the scaffolding was rented from Approved Equipment Inc.
"We'll conduct an investigation and have everything inspected to see if we can identify what the failure was," Rodriguez said.
