Caught On Camera: Dramatic Rescue Of UK Man Trapped On Top Of Burning Skyscraper

A video going viral online has captured the dramatic rescue of a man stuck on a burning skyscraper in the United Kingdom. According to The Independent, the incident took place on Thursday in Reading. Footage on social media showed a large fire at a construction site - with the man trapped on a roof surrounded by flames and thick black smoke. A metal cage was carefully lowered, allowing him to clamber in and be hoisted to safety. 

The clip was snapped in Reading city centre before the stranded man was luckily bundled into a cage and pulled to safety. The video showed the heart-stopping moment the fire seemingly grows, inching closer and closer to the man. Huge black plumes of smoke can also be seen billowing from the skyscraper. 

Watch the video below: 

Fire in Reading. Rescue of trapped person. pic.twitter.com/DAivXldypy

— Chris Lauder (@ChrLauder) November 23, 2023

According to The Guardian, the operation was described as a "very close call" by the man who was controlling the crane. Glen Edwards was forced into action after a large fire broke out at the building site. 

"I was no more than 20 metres up in the air and I looked out my left-hand window and saw a guy standing on the corner of the building. I'd only just seen him and someone said 'can you get the cage on', so that was it - I got the cage on and got it over to him the best I could," Mr Edwards said, as per the outlet. 

The 65-year-old added that it was a tricky manoeuvre because of the wind. "I would say it was a very close call if you look at the video at the way the wind was swirling around there. I tried to put the cage down between him and the flames, but I was hampered by the wind swirling around there," he said, adding, "But I got the cage down and I managed to get him in there". 

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The outlet reported that two people were taken to the hospital with smoke inhalation after the fire at the Station Hill development site. Redwood Consulting, on behalf of Station Hill, said that the site had been evacuated and its emergency fire plan immediately activated. 

The fire service in Berkshire said 50 firefighters had been on the scene near Napier Road - but that by mid-afternoon the fire was out. It said firefighters with breathing apparatus "used two main jets to extinguish the fire" and that it was scaling back resources and damping down.

The ambulance service confirmed that the two people taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation were not "severe cases". "We are working to allow access for residents to premises that have not been affected by the fire, and to the hotels," Thames Valley Police said. 

Officials are still investigating the cause of the blaze, cops said.