"Initially when we got here he wasn't very cooperative, he didn't want anyone to come near him and he didn't want to be rescued," said Deputy Fire Rescue Chief Timothy Heiser. "He denied any drug use."
After a derring-do ascent up the raised trestle, Fort Lauderdale firefighters David Bassion and Richard Olympio reached the man. Bassion shook his hand, gave him some water, and a white towel to cover himself."He didn't have much to say," Bassion recounted. "He just wanted to get down."The man, who was not identified, was harnessed to the Florida East Coast Railway bridge, which was then slowly lowered. He was taken to Broward Health Medical Center for treatment of exposure and observation.
The incident is similar to one in October of 2013 when a 55-year-old woman taking part in a 5K walk got stuck on the same bridge. In that case, however, the woman was in the middle of the structure and Fort Lauderdale firefighters were able to use a long ladder to reach her.
Via Sun Sentinel