Worker rescued after being stuck for hours inside Illinois truck stop sign tower 130 feet off ground

Firefighters in Wilmington, Illinois, came to the rescue of a truck stop worker who became stranded inside of a large sign more than 100 feet from the ground.

Shortly before 2 p.m. on July 21, the Wilmington Fire Protection District (WFPD) was notified of a worker stranded in a highway sign high above the ground.

Firefighters responded to a Petro truck stop located Lorenzo Road and I-55 and learned that a contractor was stranded 130 feet above ground inside an enclosed sign structure toward the top of a sign pole when the telescopic boom lift malfunctioned.

Crews said that there were no stairs or ladders built into the sign structure that would have allowed for rescuers to ascend to rescue the contractor. Additionally, the contractor’s location was too high for the fire department’s ladder truck capabilities.

WFPD used a drone to make virtual contact with the victim.

The malfunctioning lift was able to be lowered and removed.

A replacement boom lift was located in the Joliet area, and it was escorted to the truck stop by Illinois State Police.

A machine operator assisted firefighters in using the replacement machine to reach the contractor, who was transferred from the sign to the lift. He was safely returned to the ground.

No injuries were reported.

Assisting agencies include Wilmington Police, Wilmington & Braidwood ESDA, Joliet Fire Department and the Troy, Gardner, Elwood, Joliet, Manhattan, Minooka, Coal City and Plainfield Fire Districts.