INDIAN LAND, S.C. — Channel 9 spoke with one of the firefighters who was a part of the daring rescue at the top of a 92-foot silo.
That rescue took place Tuesday evening at a large water tank structure in the Indian Lane area.
Firefighter Tyler Kane explained the complexity of the mission to bring an injured worker down to safety.
“The patient contact, getting down to start care for him. That’s the simpler part, but figuring out how we can get him down,” Kane said. “Then figuring out how to build a system with the structure that was up there. That’s where the challenges come in.”
Kane said about three or four contractors were working on the elevated water tank when one of the contractors suffered a leg injury.
“They had suffered an injury and had fallen. We initially didn’t know how far he’d fallen, just that there was somebody stuck at the top,” said Kane.
Kane was one of the firefighters who climbed to the top of the tank to examine the situation.
“They had a safety net about 10 feet from the top, and he was in the safety net,” Kane explained. “He was holding his leg in a great deal of pain.”
In order to get the injured worker to ground-level safety, fire crews had to put a rope system together. But even with a solid game plan in place, Kane said it was a mission they simply could not do alone.
That is when the Charlotte Fire Department was called in to assist.
“We had to build a system with a basket that we could put the patient in and be able to lower him and myself down safely,” said Kane. “It’s a long drop, so we’re trying to make sure that everything’s tied correctly, so we don’t have any mistakes.”
The two-hour rescue turned out to be a successful mission, with the injured worker playing a role in the incredible outcome.
“He was a trooper. He did really well. He’s in a great deal of pain, but he remained stable the entire time. He powered through,” Kane elaborated. “Him being in good spirits the entire time definitely did. It just keeps the morale up.”
Channel 9 reached out to Lancaster County Water and Sewer Wednesday afternoon. They said the contractor has paused their operations until the investigation is complete.
VIDEO: Worker rescued from 92-foot tower in Indian Land
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