By Mary Helen Moore
The News & Observer
DURHAM, N.C. — Firefighters rescued a man with severe injuries from a construction crane in downtown Durham early Monday morning.
The person was not part of the construction crew and is believed to have fallen while climbing the crane sometime over the weekend, said Jeff Roberts, Durham Fire Department division chief.
It happened at a worksite on 300 E. Main St., where the county is building affordable apartment housing.
A construction crew found the man unconscious but breathing about 80 feet in the air, roughly halfway up from the ground. They called 911 around 9 a.m.
It’s unclear when exactly the man climbed the crane, but he was not wet from Saturday’s rainstorms.
“The last time anyone was on the site was Friday,” Roberts told The News & Observer.
The fire department sent 23 personnel to the scene to perform the rescue, Roberts said. Firefighters climbed the crane to help move the man into a basket, which the ladder truck lowered to the ground.
His injuries looked like he had fallen from higher up the crane, Roberts said. He was unresponsive but breathing when EMS workers took him to the hospital. His current condition is unknown.
The N&O has contacted the county for additional information.
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