OKC Firefighters Save Worker Stranded 50 Feet on Billboard

A worker stranded 50 feet high on a narrow billboard platform got a second chance at life thanks to Oklahoma City firefighters who refused to let impossible odds stop them.

On December 31, the man was working during his lunch break when he became unable to move on a platform barely two feet wide. Standard ladder trucks couldn't reach him because of the billboard's location, leaving him in a terrifying position with nowhere to go.

That's when Rescue Team 6 got the call. Cpl. Rowdy Marcum arrived to find the worker lying motionless on the tiny platform. "He was unable to walk. He was just laying there," Marcum recalled.

The team immediately implemented a high-angle rope system they'd practiced countless times. Marcum worked alongside Cpl. Jim Bailey to execute the delicate rescue operation. Their training was so thorough that they barely needed to speak during the mission.

"It's like a bread and butter thing for us," Bailey explained. "Rowdy and I, there's not a lot of talk in the back of the rig. We just knew the system we were going to set up and just ran with it."

Maj. Ryan Hill oversaw the operation and watched as multiple units coordinated seamlessly to save the stranded worker. "Everybody performed amazing," Hill said. "The crews that were there on scene assisted us, and the guys up top did amazing. They got it done quickly and efficiently."

The Ripple Effect

Rescue Team 6's heroic efforts earned them the "Proud to Serve" award from Quail Creek Bank. Erin Batey presented the recognition, praising the team's specialized training that made the impossible rescue possible.

But the firefighters weren't done making a difference. The team donated the entire award to the Oklahoma City Fire Department's "Care Enough to Wear Pink" program. Half the funds support the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation, while the other half helps firefighters' families dealing with a loved one's cancer diagnosis.

District Chief Scott Douglas explained the choice: "Rescue Six team decided to pay it forward to our Care Enough to Wear Pink program."

These everyday heroes saved a life 50 feet in the air, then turned their recognition into hope for families fighting cancer.