Worker Rescued After 4-Floor Fall
A construction worker in Simi Valley fell four floors down a shaft Monday and was trapped there until firefighters used chain saws and heavy rescue gear to break down a wall, authorities said.
The worker, John Berry, emerged conscious and in stable condition after a fall from the fourth floor of the Farmer’s Insurance building at 3041 E. Cochran St.
Berry was working inside the building shortly after 7 p.m. when he slipped down a narrow space between the wall and the exterior of the building, said Charles Carranza, a spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department.
Firefighters received the call at 7:13 p.m. and realized the worker was trapped behind a wall, Carranza said. They called for chain saws, the Jaws of Life apparatus and other heavy rescue equipment.
About half an hour later, they freed Berry from the shaft and took him by ambulance to Simi Valley Hospital, where a nursing supervisor said he was in fair condition.
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