An electrician trapped inside a 130ft petrol station sign in Illinois recorded final messages for his family during a six-hour ordeal in rising heat. AJ Gow was working on the sign with a colleague who descended to the ground for water on a hot day, but the mechanical lift malfunctioned and left Gow stranded alone at height.
Trapped in rising heat
Gow remained inside the sign for more than four hours as temperatures climbed. He said he began to feel unwell and asked his colleague to call emergency services. He shouted down instructions to do whatever was necessary to bring him down.
With no replacement lift arriving, Gow feared the worst. He explained that he recorded messages for his family, saying: 'God forbid if something were to actually happen, it was my final words. So essentially a goodbye without saying goodbye.'
Rescue after six hours
Firefighters' ladders extended only to 100 feet, and Gow could not safely climb down to reach them. He was eventually rescued when a suitable replacement lift arrived, ending the ordeal after six hours.
Wilmington Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Todd Friddle told PEOPLE: 'Although unconventional means were used to effect the rescue due to circumstances, everyone went home safe and uninjured yesterday.'
Gow told WABC he was 'not prepared' for the incident to attract so much media attention, adding: 'I had no idea that I was going to be stuck up here for that long, or was going to be anywhere near that kind of scenario.'
