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Electrician Trapped Atop 130-Foot Sign Records Goodbye Message
Rescuers used a replacement lift from a nearby job site after the sign’s own ladders and equipment could not reach him.
- On July 21, electrician A.J. Gow became trapped inside a 130-foot gas station sign at the Petro Travel Center off Lorenzo Road and Interstate 55 in Wilmington, Illinois, remaining stranded for more than six hours.
- While servicing the structure, Gow's telescopic boom lift malfunctioned as his co-worker attempted to return with water and a fan. The sign lacked an interior ladder, leaving him unable to climb down from the hollow, unventilated space.
- Wilmington Fire Protection District ladders could only reach about 100 feet, far below the 130-foot sign. As hours passed without rescue, Gow recorded goodbye messages for his wife and children, fearing he might not survive.
- Eventually, the Illinois State Police helped transport a taller lift from a nearby job site in Joliet to the scene. Rescuers used the replacement equipment to reach Gow and safely retrieve him uninjured after his ordeal.
- The incident changed how Gow approaches high-altitude work. He has returned to servicing signs but now plans to remain inside the lift bucket while working at extreme heights, preventing him from becoming stranded again if mechanical failure occurs.
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AJ Gow was doing maintenance work on a sign at a service station in Wilmington when a mechanical failure left him trapped.
·Los Angeles, United States
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Stuck for more than six hours in a 40-metre-high billboard in Illinois, a terrified electrician recorded farewell messages for his wife and children before finally being rescued.
Electrician trapped for hours in 130-foot-high Illinois sign had recorded ‘final words’ for wife and kids
Electrician trapped for hours in 130-foot-high Illinois sign had recorded ‘final words’ for wife and kids Click this link for the original source of this article. Author: New York Post This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://www.offthepress.com and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS...
Coverage Details
Total News Sources12
Leaning Left4Leaning Right4Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution40% Left, 40% Right
Bias Distribution
- 40% of the sources lean Left, 40% of the sources lean Right
40% Right
L 40%
C 20%
R 40%
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