Mike Murray & Peut Holtzhausen - Crane Rescue
On June 7th 2008 at 15:00, paramedic Mike Murray received a call to rescue a man who had climbed up a 41 meter tower crane. After arriving at the scene, Mike climbed the 12 storey structure to assess the patient. Meanwhile, a Bronto skylift and three other vehicles were dispatched to the scene. After the Bronto was set up, it was elevated to reach Mike and the victim, but fell short by two story's. It was then that heavy rescue arrived with specialist equipment and engine eleven arrived from Roosevelt with urban search and rescue specialist Peut Holtzhausen.
Peut started to set up a lowering system that would be used to move the patient from the crane to the Bronto. By now the patient had become aggressive, swinging electrical cable and hurling nuts and bolts at Mike. Mike spoke to the distraught man for two hours, after which he managed to convince him that he needed to be sedated. He then injected the man, while Peut put the finishing touches on the ropes that were going to be used to hoist him down.
The time had arrived for Mike and Peut to put the patient into a full body harness. After doing this, Peut climbed over the edge of the crane to assist the patient down whilst Mike hung over the edge and lowered the patient to Peut. Finally the task of lowering the man was in full motion. With the patient safely secured between his legs, Peut slowly moved down from the tower crane into the Bronto skylift. The man was then loaded into the Bronto from where he was hydraulically lowered to the ground. An ambulance took him to hospital in a stable condition, and Mike could finally return to terra firma.
