2 window washers rescued from scaffolding on Pittsburgh skyscraper
Two window washers stranded on scaffolding Friday in Downtown Pittsburgh were rescued by firefighters and EMS workers, officials said.
The workers stranded on the side of the BNY Tower skyscraper on Ross Street between the seventh and eighth floors, shortly after 11 a.m., when their scaffolding lost power.
Both men were wearing safety harnesses, officials said. An engineer worked with first responders to pull the men into the building. They were treated by paramedics in the building and released.
The rescue mission lasted about 70 to 80 minutes.
“They looked pretty calm … My impression is these are professional people and they’re used to these heights,” said Pittsburgh EMS Assistant Chief Mark Pinchalk. “I hope they get the rest of the day off.”
Justin Vellucci is a TribLive reporter covering crime and public safety in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. A longtime freelance journalist and former reporter for the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press, he worked as a general assignment reporter at the Trib from 2006 to 2009 and returned in 2022. He can be reached at jvellucci@triblive.com.
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