Fire officials rescue 2 maintenance workers injured injured in fall at Florida water tower

2 workers rescued at Florida water tower

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Two maintenance workers who were injured while working on a water tower in South Florida have been rescued.

Hollywood city officials say the workers were sandblasting the inside of the Hollywood Water Tower Friday morning when the scaffolding somehow came loose. The men fell about 45 feet to the bottom of the empty water tower basin and were seriously injured.

One man reportedly broke his leg but managed to grab his cell phone to call a supervisor. The supervisor then called 911. The other man who fell was reportedly knocked unconscious but later woke up. He was the first person lowered to safety.

Rescuers had both men out and lowered about 150 feet to the ground by Friday afternoon.

Information from: South Florida Sun Sentinel, www.sun-sentinel.com

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (AP) — Firefighters are trying to rescue two maintenance workers who fell inside an empty water tower.

Fire officials in the South Florida city of Hollywood told WPLG TV the workers were sandblasting the interior of the 160-foot-high Hollywood Water Tower on Friday morning when their scaffolding came loose.

The men fell to the bottom of the inside of the water tower and were seriously injured.

Television footage showed two rescuers on the top of the tower at a small opening that leads inside.

A phone message left by the Associated Press with Hollywood Fire Rescue was not immediately returned.