BOSTON (WHDH) - Boston firefighters helped rescue three maintenance workers from the side of the Westin Hotel in Boston’s Back Bay during a heavy storm Friday afternoon.
The manager of the Westin Hotel said three people were on a suspended scaffold working on a project when the weather suddenly changed.
Witnesses said they saw the crew stuck in the wind and rain.
“The cage started shaking — just rocking back and forth. The wind kept tossing them around. At one point, it was tilted and we saw one of them grab onto the side of the rope,” said witness Aslin Santos.
Witness Abby Haley said she didn’t see the maintenance crew up on the side of the building until emergency crews arrived.
“All of a sudden it got really dark and the rain hit and I didn’t even know they were up there until the sirens went by and I was like, ‘Oh, gosh,'” Haley said.
With the help of the building’s engineering department, the maintenance crew slowly lowered the platform down.
Cell phone video and photos show a large emergency response, with firefighters using ladder trucks to get to the crew.
“They got rained on so bad by the time firefighters got to them, they were already on the roof of the second building,” Aslin said. “There was a lot of screaming, there was a lot of shouting, a lot of sirens. It was scary.”
All three maintenance crew members are said to be okay and at home after the incident.
“I’m glad they made it down safely,” Haley said.
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