Sep 19, 2008 9:25 am US/Eastern
Worker Calls Mom While Dangling 70-Stories High
Window Installer Plucked From Scaffold; Called Mom While Waiting For Daring Rescue
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Two workers were left dangling 70-stories high after the scaffolding they were working on collapsed on this building.
CBS
A window installer plucked from a scaffold that teetered about 70 stories above a Manhattan street says he called his mother while he was waiting to be rescued.
Says Dan Sandler: "I didn't tell her where I was. I just said 'Happy Birthday."'
It took firefighters about 30 minutes on Thursday to rescue Sandler and fellow worker Tommy Florio at the Metropolitan Tower condominiums.
Says Florio: "It was scary -- I'm not going to lie."
Sandler, said he went through plenty of cigarettes while hanging in the sky. Florio admitted he began having those "last moment" thoughts.
"That was a long half-hour. I thought about my family, my wife, my son, everybody," Florio said.
After they were finally rescued, they thanked the FDNY and the NYPD for their help. Sandler talked about what happened after a motor on the scaffold apparently failed:
"One side just kept going down, and lucky enough, one of the emergency stops kicked in. It stopped us from going all the way down," he said.
Jeffrey Velasquez, the doorman in another building, sprung into action until firemen and police emergency service units arrived. The cops wound up removing a window and pulled the men through.
They seemed to have a good knowledge of what they were doing. And they kept their wits about them. That helped us pull the rescue off in the end," said Det. Daniel Rodriguez.
Added Deputy Fire Chief Bob Carroll: "It's always good when you can help somebody in real danger like that."
Even after the major scare, both Sandler and Florio didn't hesitate about going back to the job. "We gotta go back to work again tomorrow," they said.
Both were checked out by emergency medical services and are just fine.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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