Workers were raising a digital telecommunications cable to the top of a 1,524-foot television communications tower - 67 feet taller than the Sears Tower - when a worker was accidentally struck by the cable. The worker was alive, but injured critically and hanging almost 1200 feet off the ground in his harness. Several other fire departments, the State Patrol and the National Guard all responded by stating that a rescue of this type was beyond their capabilities. Lincoln Fire and Rescue personnel Kennett, Klein, Borer, Wright, Jones, and Hosek received permission from the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, the Mayor, and the Governor to attempt the rescue. The team arrived on the scene and began the more than two hour ascent of the tower. Tragically, the worker died before the rescuers could reach him - but these brave individuals persisted in their climb, and successfully brought the victim to the ground.
Date Published: September 9, 2020