A construction worker in his 40s is in stable condition after suffering an injury at a construction site on King Edward Ave. near St. Patrick St. Friday morning.
Emergency crews performed a rare rescue operation to lift the worker from the bottom of a 75-foot deep pit at the site of a future hotel at 235 King Edward St.
The man in his 40s was working in the pit around 10 a.m. when he began experiencing severe back pain.
He was conscious and stable but unable to walk up the stairs to street level, making a rescue by firefighters necessary.
Firefighters in The High Angle Rescue team used special rigging and a special stretcher that can be hoisted from a firetruck to bring the man from the bottom of the pit up to ground level.
The High Angle Rescue team is trained to work with heights and enclosed spaces.
“These types of rescue aren’t typical, we do train for them quite exhaustively,” said Ottawa Fire spokesperson Danielle Cardinal.
Paramedics on scene treated the worker with morphine and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Paramedics say the man was not injured as a result of a workplace injury, but rather suffered from severe back pain while on the job at the construction site.
He was transported to hospital for further treatment.
