Fire crews bring stranded window cleaners down from Blackfriars Road tower

Firefighters rescued two window cleaners on Thursday (8 October) after their cradle broke down 15 storeys up the outside of a tower in Southwark.

London Fire Brigade was called just after 5pm. The men had been cleaning windows on a Blackfriars Road block when the cradle stopped working, leaving them stuck high above the street.

How firefighters reached the Blackfriars Road cradle

Crews from Dowgate station attended, and the brigade sent its 64m turntable ladder across from Old Kent Road.

Firefighters raised the ladder to the cradle and brought both men safely back to the ground. By 6.15pm the rescue was complete.

Paramedics from London Ambulance Service checked the pair over at the scene. A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Thankfully no-one was hurt and the men were rescued safely and quickly.”

Europe’s tallest aerial fire appliance

The brigade says no aerial appliance in Europe is taller than its 64m ladder. It can reach up to 20 floors, and a built-in lift allows it to be used for rescuing large numbers of people when conditions allow.

Crews can also use the ladder to get water to upper floors. Officers use it as a raised viewing point too, so they can see how an incident is developing.

The spokesperson described the rescue as a good example of how the brigade uses specialist equipment to deal with the challenges of London’s buildings. They said having the right kit remained vital if crews were to respond well and keep communities in the capital safe.