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Contractor Rescued From 130‑Foot Highway Sign After Lift Malfunction

Mutual‑aid crews used a replacement boom lift with drone monitoring to reach a worker trapped inside a sign beyond ladder reach.

The worker was rescued after becoming stranded for hours inside a 130-foot-tall gas station sign in Wilmington when the lift he was using malfunctioned. (WLS/CNN/CNN Newsource)
The worker was rescued after becoming stranded for hours inside a 130-foot-tall gas station sign in Wilmington when the lift he was using malfunctioned. (WLS/CNN/CNN Newsource)
The worker was rescued after becoming stranded for hours inside a 130-foot-tall gas station sign in Wilmington when the lift he was using malfunctioned. (WLS/CNN/CNN Newsource)
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Overview

  • A maintenance contractor became stuck about 130 feet up inside an enclosed highway sign after a telescopic boom lift malfunctioned and remained stranded for roughly three hours on Tuesday.
  • Local fire crews launched a drone to keep visual contact and found the worker was beyond the reach of their ladder trucks because the sign had no built‑in ladders or stairs.
  • MABAS Division 15 Technical Rescue Team and multiple neighboring departments were activated and sourced a replacement boom lift from Joliet to reach and lower the contractor.
  • The worker was returned to the ground unharmed and either refused or did not require medical treatment, and officials have not yet released details on what caused the lift to fail.
  • Large roadside signs often use internal lifts rather than external ladders, which can push rescues beyond routine ladder capabilities and make mutual‑aid responses and equipment inspections central to future safety reviews.