Firefighters rescue man dangling from 7th floor of Santa Ana building

Oct. 23, 2018 9:15 AM PT

Firefighters rescued a man who was hanging from a rope outside the seventh floor of a nine-story building in Santa Ana, authorities said Tuesday.

The Orange County Fire Authority responded to a call about a man hanging outside the building at 701 W. Santa Ana Blvd., shortly before 8 a.m., spokesman Tony Bommarito said.

By about 8:50, rescue personnel were able to safely lower the man to the ground using a rope and rigging system, he said.

The man is a construction worker who was repairing concrete on the side of the building with another worker, Bommarito said. The other worker was able to lower himself to one side of the platform on which they were working and escape safely, but the first worker became ensnared in a safety line.

Bommarito said he didn’t have information about whether the platform’s motor had malfunctioned.

The worker didn’t appear to have been injured but was complaining of leg numbness while he was suspended, Bommarito said.