Contractor Rescued From Bradenton Water Tower After On-the-Job Injury
A contractor working inside a City of Bradenton water tower was safely rescued Wednesday morning after suffering an apparent leg injury during maintenance work, according to city officials.
The incident occurred around 9:23 a.m. at the water tower located adjacent to Bradenton Fire Station 3 at 2901 59th St. W.
Officials said the contractor was performing maintenance-related work inside the tower when he reportedly fell about four feet from scaffolding and sustained an injury to his leg. Due to the worker’s location within the structure, firefighters conducted a high-angle technical rescue operation to safely remove him from the tower.
Bradenton Fire Department personnel responded quickly, aided by the fact that technical rescue training exercises were already taking place nearby at the time of the incident. Crews were able to extricate the contractor in less than an hour.
The worker was wearing appropriate safety equipment during the incident and was transported by Manatee County EMS for medical evaluation.
Bradenton Fire Chief Tim Geer said the incident demonstrated the importance of ongoing technical rescue training and preparedness among emergency responders.
Multiple regional agencies assisted with the rescue effort, including Cedar Hammock Fire Rescue, East Manatee Fire Rescue, North River Fire District, West Manatee Fire Rescue and Manatee County EMS.
City officials described the operation as a successful technical rescue completed without complications.
