Two workers were nine stories high on scaffolding outside a Maryland apartment building Monday afternoon when a rope broke and strong winds flung them around the building.
It happened at the Washingtonian Tower Apartments in Gaithersburg about 4 p.m., right as severe weather brought heavy rain and intense winds to the D.C. region.
Video shows the scaffolding go from one side of the building then around the corner at times as the men clung to the platform.
“One of the ropes that held one of the ends of the platform broke loose. So as you can imagine, that side dropped down and it basically became a pendulum. And this was on the corner of the building. With the winds, it was basically whipping them around from the back to the side, from the back to side and was basically throwing these people around. So it was probably a pretty terrifying site for anyone who was witnessing it. And meanwhile, you’re in the middle of a torrential downpour with gusts of wind, you know, 30, 40 miles per hour. So it was pretty significant,” Montgomery County Fire & EMS Deputy Chief Daniel Ogren said.
Eventually, a resident on the ninth floor opened her window and the workers managed to crawl inside to safety.
The workers were shaken up but they weren’t hurt, Ogren said.
It’s unclear at this time why the rope broke.
