Two hospitalized after falling from hotel under construction

BILLINGS – Two workers were hospitalized after a gust of wind caused them to fall from a hotel under construction in Billings.

Billings Fire Battalion Chief Terry Larson says the men were setting trusses when the gust of wind caused them to lose their balance Wednesday afternoon. One man fell about 40 feet to the bottom of an elevator shaft that goes below ground level. He suffered injuries to his arms and legs.

Larson says another man suffered leg injuries after falling about 15 feet down the same hole before landing on the third floor.

Work on the four-story Comfort Suites was shut down for the rest of the day. Northridge Construction Inc., based in Grand Forks, North Dakota, is building the motel.

The names and conditions of the injured men were not immediately released.