Photo: Wilmington Fire Protection District
A maintenance worker spent more than six hours trapped in a 130-foot-tall gas station sign near Wilmington, Illinois, after his lift malfunctioned Tuesday (July 21). The sign, located along Lorenzo Road off Interstate 55, proved too tall for local fire department ladders, which only reach about 100 feet.
The worker, who identified himself as AJ Gow, was performing maintenance on the sign when he became stranded inside one of its enclosed sections around 11 a.m. Emergency crews from the Wilmington Fire District were called at 1:55 p.m. and quickly realized their equipment could not reach the top because their ladders and lifts could only reach 100 feet.
Rescue efforts were complicated by the sign’s height and the absence of an internal ladder. Fire officials said Gow appeared to be in good spirits during the ordeal, even offering a “thumbs up” to rescuers below.
To reach him, responders secured a specialized lift from a job site in Joliet. The Illinois State Police provided an escort, transporting the lift 17 miles to the scene. Just before 4 p.m., rescue teams used the equipment to bring Gow safely down to the ground. He was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for dehydration.
Authorities have not released further details about what caused the lift malfunction or whether any additional safety measures will be implemented at the site.