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WILMINGTON, Ill. - A contractor stranded 130 feet inside a sign over Interstate 55 was rescued Tuesday after a malfunctioning boom lift left him trapped for about three hours, officials said.
The backstory:
The incident happened just before 2 p.m. near Lorenzo Road and Interstate 55.
According to the Wilmington Fire Protection District, the contractor was performing maintenance inside a highway sign when the telescopic boom lift he was using malfunctioned, leaving him stranded about 130 feet above the ground. The worker told rescuers he had been trapped for about three hours.
Fire officials said the sign support structure had no built-in ladders or stairs, and the worker was beyond the reach of the department's ladder trucks.
Crews launched a drone to the opening in the sign to maintain visual contact with the contractor while they worked to find another way to reach him. Officials eventually located a replacement boom lift in the Joliet area.
The replacement lift was transported to the scene under an Illinois State Police escort. Rescue crews used it to reach the contractor and safely lower him to the ground. He was not injured.
What's next:
Multiple first responder agencies assisted with the rescue. Officials have not released further details about what caused the boom lift to malfunction.
The Source: The information in this article was provided by the Wilmington Fire Protection District.