Two rescued after work platform at downtown Lexington building partially collapses
Two people were temporarily trapped dangling from a partially collapsed work platform in downtown Lexington Wednesday night before firefighters were able to rescue them.
Firefighters were called to the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government building at about 8:30 p.m. when the work platform collapsed, Lexington Fire Department Battalion Chief Jordan Saas said.
When firefighters arrived, they found two people dangling by ropes in the air, Saas said. One was about 20 feet up, and another was about 40 feet in the air. The platform was “precariously” in the air, Saas said.
Firefighters were able to get the two people down using a ladder truck, Saas said. Both were wearing harnesses and were not injured.
A third worker who was on the platform was able to climb down on their own, said Susan Straub, a spokeswoman for the city.
The work platform was being used in a project to remove deteriorating balconies on the north and west sides of the Government Center, Straub said. The workers were removing concrete from a balcony when the platform partially collapsed.
The work was being done by contractor Structural Systems Repair Group out of Cincinnati, Straub said. Structural Systems told the city that the workers had followed protocol and that there was never a danger to the public. Structural Systems also said it had safety professionals looking into the cause of the partial collapse.
This story was originally published August 26, 2020 at 10:16 PM.
