A crowd watching from the ground cheered Tuesday morning when Orange County firefighters rescued a window washer who was stranded on a rope after his scaffolding collapsed outside a nine-story building Tuesday morning in Santa Ana.
The worker was harnessed to the rope at about the seventh floor of the federal building at 34 Civic Center Boulevard, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
"He was roughly on the seventh floor dangling by a safety rope," said Orange County Fire Authority Battalion Chief Craig Covey. "It's something we train for all the time."
The team has ropes up to about 600 feet long for what's called a "high angle rescue." The proper equipment training and a calm window washer led to a smooth rescue operation high above Santa Ana, Covey said.
"The victim was very calm," said Covey. "Obviously, it's not his first time doing this. He remained calm the whole time and our guys could just get to work.
"It's a great day today. We got to save a life. That's what we live for."
An Orange County Fire Association fire-rescue team member was lowered down from the building's roof and secured the worker. The two were then lowered to the ground.
Witnesses who had been watching on the ground clapped and cheered as the window washer touched down.
Rescue team members were talking with the window washer through a window during the operation.
Nearby streets were closed for the rescue operation.
The stranded worker did not appear to suffer serious injuries.
