High-angle rescue has firefighter and patient hanging 40 stories over uptown Charlotte

A high-angle rescue was staged over uptown Charlotte, after a construction worker was injured atop a skyscraper, according to the Charlotte Fire Department.

Photos shared on Facebook show a firefighter dangling precariously from a cable, with a patient strapped in a gurney. The rescuers came from the department’s Station 4 on Church Street.

The incident happened Thursday in the 500 block of South Tryon Street, officials said.

“An injured worker was found on the 40th floor of a high rise under construction,” Station 4 officials posted on Facebook. “Engine and Ladder 4 assessed, packaged and removed the patient in 30 minutes from arrival time.”

The dangling firefighter was identified as Nicholas Shriner of Station 4 and he has been with CFD five years, officials said. “It was the first time that Shriner conducted a rescue from that height, utilizing a crane as a means of being lowered to the ground,” Capt. Dennis Gist of CFD told the Charlotte Observer.

The identity of the construction worker has not been released. His injuries were not life threatening, officials said.

A video tweeted by the department shows Shriner and the patient were eventually lowered to first responders waiting on South Tryon Street near The Green.

Charlotte Fire Department officials say the rescue involved “a long-tail interlocking bowlines rig” attached to a crane.

Photos of the rescue have gotten nearly 2,000 reactions on Facebook, with some people noting the photos resembled a scene from an action movie.

“Who needs Carowinds when you have the CFD,” one man wrote on the CFD Facebook page.

“This is so inspiring!” a woman said.

“Heroes are everywhere!” another commenter posted.

This story was originally published July 19, 2021 at 9:10 AM with the headline "High-angle rescue has firefighter and patient hanging 40 stories over uptown Charlotte."