NEW YORK--Around 4:15 p.m., two window washers who had been hanging from the 600-foot Hearst tower since noon were rescued by the New York Fire Department.
A construction worker, who gave his first name Tony, was working at a building across the street, when he saw the workers hanging. The fire department cut the glass of the Hearst tower to bring the workers in to safety. They were hanging from around the 3rd floor from the top, according to a reporter on the scene. The two workers were hanging for three hours.
The scaffolding likely cost around $2 million dollars, according to the construction worker. That scaffolding is the safest in the industry, and they were not at serious risk. The rig used to pull the workers to safety is permanently on top of the building.
The city’s Fire Department said on Twitter that the two workers are being evaluated by EMS members.
8th Avenue was closed heading uptown from 42nd Street for part of the day, but is now open, according to the NYPD.
