2 New York Window Washers Stuck for 90 Minutes Due to Collapsed Platform Over 500ft High at Hearst Tower Manhattan [PHOTOS AND VIDEO]
It was supposed to be a regular maintenance workday for 49-year-old Stephen Schmidt and 26-year-old Victor Carballo, two New York City window washers, over 500ft high at Hearst Tower Manhattan until their tolerance for high places was put to the test. The men were stuck for 90 minutes on the platform that suddenly collapsed before the rescue team saved them.
Unidentified sources revealed that the incident happened around 2:45 p.m. and the New York Fire Department responded to the scene. Fortunately, Schmidt and Carballo did not suffer any injuries when the platform sharply bended in the middle section.
The firefighters were able to transfer the men into safety after they cut a hole through a double-paned window on the Hearst Tower's 45th floor. It took the rescue team approximately 30 minutes slice through the glass and send one firefighter onto the platform and assist the workers being lifted into the tall building.
Paramedic Moses Neslon revealed that Schmidt and Carballo were still smiling throughout the terrifying situation. Firefighter Tom Gayron shared that there was no strong wind disturbance when they were conducting the platform rescue for the stuck workers.
Tom Gayron further revealed that he was so impressed with the two men because they were remarkably calm. Furthermore, it is a good thing that the platform was tightly secured so the people down on the street were not in peril from the collapsed platform falling down.
According to the local fire department, one of the platform's three motors malfunctioned and left the two window washers trapped and dangling at the top. The Hearst Tower, which is 46 stories high, is the worldwide headquarters of the 126-year-old media company Hearst Corporation and the first ever "green" high-rise office building accomplished in New York City with several environmental deliberations included in the project.