A firefighter accompanies an injured victim who became stuck in a large crane more than 200 feet off the ground on Saturday night. Photo courtesy Long Beach Fire Department
3:45pm | Firefighters rescued two injured victims stuck in a large crane more than 200 feet off the ground, lowering them to safety and rushing them to a local hospital on Saturday night.
An Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) crew responded to a call at 1521 Harbor Scenic Drive in the Port of Long Beach around 6:44pm on Saturday, to find a male and female in their 50’s stuck in the large crane after it had come to a sudden halt. Both were suffering from moderate injuries and were unable to climb down.
Firefighters rigged a lowering system with a hoist line from the crane’s engine room. A firefighter accompanied the victims 200 feet down in a steel basket known as a stokes, providing stability and patient contact until they reached safety. They received emergency care once on the ground and were rushed to a local hospital.
According to the department, firefighters regularly train for this type of scenario on large cranes similar to the one in this incident. The cause of the accident is still under investigation and it is not yet clear whether or not the victims were employees, or what they were doing in the crane.
