SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Two construction workers are now safe after dangling off the side of a building in Palmetto Bay.
Just after 9 a.m., Miami-Dade Fire Rescue received a call of two workers in distress after their scaffolding fell. 7Skyforce was over the scene at the Palmetto Bay Village Center at 18001 Old Cutler Road, Tuesday morning, where both workers were dangling from the sixth floor on the side of the building.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said both workers were secured by the ropes in their harnesses during the rescue.
“They were dangling for over an hour, so it was a very scary situation for them,” said Kelly Craig of the Village of Palmetto Bay.
Both workers were lowered to safety by the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Technical Team. No injuries have been reported since the rescue.
“We bring our equipment, this is what we do, what we train for on a regular basis,” said Miami-Dade Firefighter-Paramedic Maggie Castro. “We train for this kind of scenario all of the time. So we were ready and prepared to do the job that we needed to do. Soon as we got here, we prepared all of our rope systems and over the edge we went.”
Castro lead the mission to save the two workers.
“One of the gentlemen was hanging, and he’d been hanging for a little while, so we knew he was our priority,” Castro said.
Castro was carefully lowered to each man, tethering herself to them and bringing them to safety.
“Your training takes over and you just do what you need to do,” she said. “Now’s when it feels pretty good.”
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Jeff Strickland said this rescue mission was a success because of the training each firefighter undergoes.
“These four units that take extensive training in technical rescue, which is vehicle machinery rescue, rope rescue, confined space rescue – there are various types of collapse,” said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Jeff Strickland. “As you can see, I’m very proud of them. In less than that golden hour, they were able to stabilize the situation and bring the two victims to a safe location.”
Craig considers Castro a hero for rescuing the two men, but Castro said it was just another day at work for her.
“We’re eternally grateful. I’d like to personally thank the men and women in uniform,” said Marco Rodriguez of the Florida Lemark Corporation & MAR Contractors. “Because of their efforts, they get to go home to their families.”
The workers were sent home for the rest of the day and will be back on the job — albeit on the ground — Wednesday.
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