Charlotte fire officials say a crane operator rescued from last week’s deadly five-alarm fire in SouthPark is back home and doing well. Speaking to reporters Thursday, Charlotte Fire Capt. Jeff Bright described the effort to save the crane operator, who was stuck high above a burning apartment building still under construction.
Emotional at times, Bright said firefighters communicated with the operator for more than 35 minutes over a radio as smoke swirled and flames rose.
"Twenty-eight years on the job, I’ve never seen anything like that. And to talk to him on the radio, and him tell you that he’s down to his last bottle of water," Bright said, recounting the tension.
The operator was rescued by firefighter Kevin Murphy, who scaled the hot, metal crane and helped the operator climb down to safety. Murphy said Thursday that he was simply doing his job.
"I’m just glad we were able to get to him, and he was able to stay safe until we were able to get there," said Murphy.
WFAE spoke to the crane operator's uncle on the day of the fire. He recalled that his nephew called him to say he was in trouble. Walter Morris said his nephew could not get down initially because the flames were so high.
"The heat got to him, you know, a couple of times he was calling saying how hot it was, his eyes were red," Morris said the day of the blaze. "When (my nephew) walked down, he climbed down and he walked to the stretcher."
Fifteen construction workers were rescued. Two others — Demonte Sherill and Ruben Holmes — were killed. Fire officials believe the fire was accidental and may have started in a spray foam trailer. An investigation is ongoing.
The apartment building was completely destroyed, sending plumes of smoke and ash into the air that could be seen for miles.