MENLO PARK — Firefighters used a “sky crane” to rescue a severely injured worker from an unstable construction site in Menlo Park on Wednesday afternoon, according to fire officials.
Firefighters responded to a report at 1:42 p.m. that a construction worker had accidentally fallen into a basement of a home under construction on the 1600 block of Oak Avenue in the Central Menlo neighborhood, according to a Menlo Park Fire Protection District statement. When they arrived on scene seven minutes after the call, they found a conscious male worker in a corner of the open basement, performed cervical spine precautions and treated him for a severely fractured leg.
Based on the size of the man, the extent of his injuries and an “unstable access system” in the basement, fire Capt. Scott Hylton had him lifted in a Stokes basket from the basement to the street via a 100-foot ladder and rope system.
“Fire personnel … regularly practice rescues using the ladder for Technical Rescue scenarios from rooftops or below grade areas like creeks or vaults but rarely from basements under construction, (albeit) all the same (principles) apply,” fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman said in the statement.
The man was transported to Stanford Hospital’s Emergency Trauma Center. Stanford did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Email Kevin Kelly at kkelly@bayareanewsgroup.com or call him at 650-391-1049.
