Window Washers Stuck on One World Trade Center Rescued

A hanging scaffolding left at least two window washers dangling precariously near the 68th floor of the newly opened One World Trade Center on Wednesday. Rescue workers were able to break a window and pull the window washers into the building.

The workers were sent to the hospital, where they were treated for mild hypothermia. Reuters identified the two workers as Juan Lopez and Juan Lizama, both veterans of the job with several years of expirence.

Patrick J. Foye, the Executive Director of Port Authority, said the agency had trained for exactly this mission, conducting a drill just 10 days ago. Before the men were rescued, first responders dropped them a rope and radio. The workers were then able to hook themselves to the rope for additional security, in case the cart were to fall before the rescue was complete.

New York Fire Deparment's elite Rescue Company 1, made their way inside the building to the 68th floor, where they were confronted with three layers of thick glass, together measuring nearly an inch in thickness. Using a diamond saw, they cut through the first two layers, and were nearly stymied by the 3rd before finally cutting a hole to pull the two men to saftey. Fire fighters also had a back up plan: lowering a second window cart in which the workers could be transferred. The window broke and they did not need to use the additional cart.

Workers from nearby buildings flocked to windows and balconies to watch the scene. Helicopters circled but kept their distance.

Darrell Schmutter, a tourist from Australia, said he was leaving the 9/11 Memorial Museum when he happened to look up and see the scene at around 1:00 p.m.

One World Trade Center, which is still partially under construction, got its first tenants last week. The building is a replacement for the two World Trade Center Buildings destroyed on Sept. 11, 2001, and reaches a symbolic 1,776 feet into the sky, making it one of the tallest buildings in the world. The 68th floor, where the rescue occurred, had not been fully constructed yet, it lacked both walls and framing, allowing the rescue workers to move easily through the space.

Battalion Captain Joe Jardin and Lt. William Reilly were the firefighters who rescued the two window washers from the building. Reilly told reporters that the men were "very quiet" when they were pulled from the window washing cart. The firefighters were just two of about a hundred first responders on the scene. Daniel A. Nigro, Commision of the New York Fire Department, told Newsweek the maintenance units used to wash the windows "will not be returned to service." Officials on the scene said they were not able to confirm what caused the malfunction and plan to launch a full investigation. So far, they were only able to confirm the incident occurred because "slack developed in the cable on one side." Authorities are still working out a plan to remove the dangling window washing cart from the side of the building.