PALM COAST, Fla. – Firefighters had to rescue a man who fell ill while performing maintenance atop a 150-foot water tower Wednesday afternoon, according to a news release.
Chris Young and two other Utility Services employees were on top of the city of Palm Coast's main water tower when Young fell ill. His coworkers called 911.
Firefighters rescued a utility worker who fell ill while performing maintenance on a Palm Coast water tower.
Units from Palm Coast Fire and Flagler County Fire Rescue arrived at 2:11 p.m. and firefighters trained in high-angle rescue began working to get Young down safely. Officials said eight firefighters went inside the water tower to give Young medical treatment and water.
"Once it was safe, firefighters began the operation to carry Young down using a rescue harness. It took about 30 minutes to bring him down via a narrow ladder through the confined space of the inside of the water tower. He was safely down to the base of the water tower by 4:42 p.m. and immediately transported to the hospital," Palm Coast city officials said in the news release.
With Central Florida heating up for the summer, officials reminded residents to stay hydrated, avoid confined spaces where temperatures can easily swell and go inside if they feel light-headed or fatigued.