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Tower ladder failure injures 3 Pa. firefighters

Firefighters said a cable snapped and the ladder’s descent lasted about 50 feet before coming to a sudden stop

ERIE, Pa. — Three firefighters working in a tower truck were sent to the hospital after a frightening plunge Wednesday night.

YourErie.com reported that the Belle Valley Fire Department firefighters were in the bucket on a rig about 70 feet up installing new equipment on a radio tower. The ladder later started retracting and began rapidly descending.

Firefighters at the scene said a cable snapped and the ladder’s descent lasted about 50 feet before coming to a sudden stop, according to the report.

All three firefighters were taken to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries.