Singapore — The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) conducted a high-rise rescue operation after a worker injured his leg while 70 metres up in the air on a tower crane.
SCDF firefighters from the central fire station and specialists from the elite Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) were activated on Friday night (Nov 12) to a height rescue operation at a construction site along Beach Road.
A man who was working on a tower crane 70 metres in the air had injured his leg and was unable to climb down to safety, said SCDF.
Two firefighters and one cross-trained as an Emergency Medical Technician climbed up a cat ladder to reach the injured man found lying on a platform.
“Suspecting that he had broken his leg, the firefighters bandaged and immobilised the injured leg in preparation for the height rescue operation,” said SCDF.
Meanwhile, two DART specialists climbed up the crane to install a height lowering system consisting of ropes and pulleys. At the same time, another team prepared the area on the group to receive the casualty.
“To lower the man, a DART specialist attached himself to the stretcher, which was lowered using a power ascender.”
SCDF explained that the machine was a portable battery-operated device that allows the rescuer to ascend and descend with a casualty, thus accelerating the speed of the rescue mission.
Once the injured worker was lowered to the ground, an SCDF ambulance crew assessed him before conveying him to the Singapore General Hospital.
In response to the incident, members from the online community commended SCDF’s efforts.
“An awesome save amid the difficulties,” said a netizen.
“SCDF should be allocated more budget so that they can have up to date equipment to do complex rescue,” noted Facebook user Rohaizan Rahmat.
In an update on Saturday (Nov 13), SCDF uploaded a video of the rescue mission.
SCDF rescues injured man on crane 70 meters in the air
[Height rescue operation @ Construction site along Beach Road]
Last night (12 Nov), SCDF rescued a man with an injured leg from a tower crane 70 meters in the air.
Here is the moment when a specialist from SCDF’s Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) is being lowered to the ground together with the casualty.
For full incident details: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=259627776211565&id=100064930322544
Posted by Singapore Civil Defence Force on Friday, November 12, 2021
“Here is the moment when a specialist from SCDF’s DART is being lowered to the ground together with the casualty,” said SCDF. /TISG
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