Window Washer Falls 33 Stories To His Death

Scaffolding came loose from one of its moorings Tuesday, sending a window washer 33 stories to his death as another worker scrambled to safety.

The men were outside the 38th floor of the BP America Inc. building in downtown Cleveland when the scaffolding gave way. It appeared that the two workers were trying to get off the scaffolding when the accident occurred.

The man who died, whose name was not released, fell onto the roof of an elevator atop a five-story parking garage connected to the BP building.

“You could hear him land and then the lady next to me started screaming and I looked out,” said Sharon King, who works in the building. “It was pretty disturbing.”

Witnesses said the other worker climbed the scaffolding, then pulled himself up some ropes to the roof. He was shaken but unhurt, Fire Chief Bob Derrit said.