High anxiety, 11 stories up

A window washer who dangled 11 stories above the pavement can thank a thin piece of rope looped around his foot for saving his life.

For some reason, the glass cleaner’s main rope gave out Tuesday. Before it was too late, he stuck his foot into a loop at the end of a safety line and clung to other ropes hanging down the side of the downtown Spokane building.

That’s how firefighters found him when they rushed five trucks to the Washington Trust Bank Building on Post between Sprague and First avenues.

As firefighters extended a ladder toward him from the ground, fellow window washers scrambled to the top of the building. His co-workers lowered a wooden seat suspended on ropes like a tree swing. While the wind sent him swaying, the stranded glass cleaner climbed onto the chair, and as dozens watched, from the sidewalk and through windows, he was lowered to the ground.

It was unclear how the window washer – who declined to comment or give his name – became stuck, said Battalion Chief Mike Inman of the Spokane Fire Department.

“He didn’t know what happened. He felt the rope slip and grabbed the safety line,” Inman said.

“He was pretty quiet about it.”

Throughout the drama, Washington Trust lending assistant Linda Coyne and her colleagues watched the dangling man, who was only a few feet away, through the glass.

“He looked pretty stressed,” Coyne said. “We were looking out the window and worrying about him.”

Once the man reached the ground, onlookers broke into applause and cheers.

“That was some exciting stuff,” Coyne said.