A tower tech suffered a medical emergency while working inside the Sandy Pond water tower yesterday afternoon in West Yarmouth, MA, but ultimately regained consciousness and descended safely under his own power with the assistance of a coworker and the rescue team.
At approximately 3:21 p.m., Yarmouth Fire’s 911 center received a report of a cell-tower technician unconscious and suspended in his harness roughly 100 feet above ground inside the water-tower enclosure at 480 Buck Island Road. Engine 45, Tower 41, Ambulance 54, Car 51 and Car 52 all responded immediately under the command of Lieutenant Gregg Almonte.
Upon arrival, Lt. Almonte confirmed the patient’s location and requested additional resources, including the Barnstable County Technical Rescue Team. A rope-rescue plan was drawn up, and a Cape Cod Tech Rescue unit staged nearby—though it proved unnecessary. The worker regained consciousness, and with guidance from coworkers and at least one rescue-team climber, self-evacuated the tower by 4 p.m.
Once on the ground, he was evaluated by Yarmouth Fire medics and transported to Cape Cod Hospital for further treatment. The technician had been servicing cellular antenna equipment when he fell ill.
Officials were not disclosing the individual’s name or his employer. A crew cab seen at the site did not display any company details.