Video: Giving thanks for the Morristown steeple rescue, by Berit Ollestad

It’s time to give thanks, and a couple of stranded construction workers have plenty to be thankful for after their dramatic rescue earlier this month from the steeple of the Morristown United Methodist Church.

MorristownGreen.com contributor Berit Ollestad has edited her photos from that chilly afternoon into a cool video. Take a look.

MORE COVERAGE OF THE STEEPLE RESCUE

Video: A more conventional drama for Morristown Methodists

All eyes were on the Morristown United Methodist Church last week for a dramatic rescue of two steeple restorers stranded 120 feet above the ground.

The crowd was a little smaller Sunday, but the church’s Friends & Family revue still was pretty exciting. It showed off the congregation’s musical- and dancing talent and helped raise money for an upgrade of the church organ.

Above is a number from the show, featuring MG contributor Ray “Jerry” Friant, the Men’s Ensemble and the Asbury Choir.

(P.S. Not only was the steeple situation resolved safely–but the same two restorers were back on Monday to pick up where they left off.)

 

 

More images from the Morristown steeple rescue; OSHA will investigate

The drama of two men trapped in the basket of a cherry-picker high above Morristown ended happily on Thursday. But these shots show how precarious the situation was for fire and rescue personnel.

Please click icon below for captions.

The incident is being investigated, said Warren Simpson of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

“We just want to make sure they are complying with our regulations,” he said on Friday, referring to the Newman Company, which was restoring the steeple of the Morristown United Methodist Church when something happened that brought the basket to rest against the steeple at an angle.

By law, OSHA has six months to review situations like this one, Warren said. He had no further details about the steeple case.

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Video: Morristown’s steeple rescue, no fear of heights here

Here is video of Thursday’s steeple rescue at the Morristown United Methodist Church.

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Scenes from Morristown’s steeple rescue at the United Methodist Church

Three hours stuck high above Morristown would be enough to make anyone a basket case. But two contractors who were stranded in a basket while restoring the steeple of the United Methodist Church took the incident remarkably calmly.

So, for that matter, did all the firefighters, EMTs and police who responded to the unusual incident.

Our kudos to MG correspondent Berit Ollestad for capturing these great images at the scene. And many thanks, too, to MG contributor Beth Kujan for her help posting our Tweets to the website.

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Photos by Berit Ollestad. Please click icon below for captions

 

 

 

Dramatic steeple rescue put new Morristown Fire Chief on hot seat

Just one month into his term as Morristown’s acting fire chief, Jimmy Schultz found himself facing some tricky choices Thursday as two contractors awaited rescue from a stalled cherry-picker 120 feet above the United Methodist Church.

The tallest fire truck ladders on the scene, from Madison and Morris Township, extended only 105 feet.

Extending a portable ladder from the end of a truck ladder to the workers was risky.

The workers, who had been surveying the church steeple on the first day of a church restoration project, stood in a basket that was wedged against the steeple at a slight angle.

Although firefighters lashed the workers’ boom to the steeple with ropes, a ladder rescue was likely to be wobbly, said Jimmy, a veteran of 30 years as a fireman.

Another option was plucking the workers to safety via a new State Police helicopter that buzzed up from south Jersey.

“That was Plan C,” Jimmy said.

Plan B spared everyone from that nail-biting scenario.

A 275-ton crane from Bruce Koerner Cranes of Denville hoisted a metal cage alongside the basket. As news helicopters hovered overhead, firefighters helped the workers into the cage and they were lowered onto South Park Place, three hours after their ordeal began, to applause from onlookers lining the historic Morristown Green.

“I felt like I was getting a cat stuck out of a tree,” said Bruce Koerner, who was thanked by the steeple workers.

The workers, from the Newman Company, were not immediately identified. They were checked out by Morristown EMS personnel and then taken into the church to be interviewed by investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Jimmy said.

“They’re good, thankfully,” the fire chief said of the workers’ condition. “They’re cold. It’s not too bad down here, but when you get up a little bit you’re getting a little more wind.”

It was a chilly afternoon with temperatures falling from the lower 50s. Including work time before they got stranded, the men probably were aloft for five hours, said church Pastor Neill Tolboom.

“They’re just glad to be back on the ground,” said Pastor Neill, who prayed for the workers during the rescue, and with them when they came down. “The truth of the matter is, everyone was so professional in this thing, I was really never worried.”

When the workers’ basket made contact with the steeple, it caused one of the crane’s wheels to lift off the ground. That triggered an automatic shut-down of the apparatus, said the chief. One of the steeple workers used his cell phone to call for help.

Why the basket touched the steeple in the first place is unclear.  There were no concerns about the steeple toppling, according to the chief; his worry was that the crane might fall backwards onto the New Jersey Monthly building.

“This is an extraordinary circumstance,” said Jimmy, noting it’s been about 20 years since the last high-rise rescue in town. It  involved a window washer at the Headquarters Plaza complex. A fire truck ladder was just long enough for that job, he said.

Fortunately, the steeple workers were in no imminent peril and firefighters had time to plot their strategy, Jimmy said.  Firefighters from Cedar Knolls, Whippany and Morris Plains also responded to the scene.

The timing was auspicious for the church: It was day one of a two-week, $120,000 church renovation. The commotion also coincided with the church’s annual meeting. Trustees had to make their way past a small army of emergency vehicles and hordes of New York media.

Pastor Neill, whose flair for dramatic fundraising events has included tricycling around the Green and taking outdoor winter swims, said the steeple contractors had invited him to join them in their basket on Thursday morning.

“It was a good decision to say no,” he said. “I’m a little older and I definitely would have had to use the bathroom.”

MG Correspondent Berit Ollestad contributed to this report.

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Rescue from the Steeple!

For breaking news on the rescue of masons, go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Morristown-Green/116861234991778

Here’s the twitter feed:

Rescue cage… http://t.co/4gg9jB5O

 

Crane is 275 tons, can reach 300 ft high

 

Choppers have crisscrossed sky all afternoon. State Police flew very low for a look

 

The crane is going to hoist a rescue cage…this will be interesting

 

Another industrial crane with a winch is on the scene. http://t.co/59fKHSc3

 

Firemen secured ropes from stalled crane to steeple. Madison fire bucket almost reaches the stuck workers

 

This was day 1 of $100K church renovations. Contractors were ‘re-pointing’ steeple.

 

Firemen have tied cables from their bucket to steeple. Drama is 2 hours old…began at 1.30 http://t.co/l7cznAWJ

 

Madison firemen have attached cable from their bucket to the steeple. Drama now 2 hours

The stalled bucket is tilted against side of steeple, maybe 15 feet above firemen http://t.co/bPJAJRnJ

 

The truck ladder only is 110 feet high…they will need another ladder from there. But they must secure the stalled bucket first

 

Madison fire dept ladder crew about to bring them down http://t.co/12GEIzwJ

 

Madison fire dept ladder crew about to bring them down http://t.co/12GEIzwJ

 

Madison fire dept is now ready to assist http://t.co/bB9ctdAs

 

Here’s photo…Morris Township ladder not high enough

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