Rescuers struggle to save man dangling by legs from 290-foot chimney

Fire department officials appealed to the public to provide a 90-meter (295-foot) cherry picker to help rescue the man, who reportedly became trapped on top of Dixon’s Chimney in Carlisle, northwest England, at 2.20 a.m. on Monday.Footage on social media appears to show the man bare-chested and dangling by his legs.It is not clear how or why the man became stuck on top of the chimney, which is part of a former 19th-century cotton mill.”We are looking at various options to rescue this man safely,” Cumbria Constabulary Superintendent Matt Kennerley said in a statement. “So far the multi-agency response has seen us utilise technology including drones.”A helicopter has been used to try to rescue the man and efforts have been made to try to drop a technical rescue team onto the chimney to rescue him.”These two attempts have not been successful so far due to concerns over how securely the man is attached to the ladder at the top of the chimney — and the potential danger of backdrafts from the helicopter.”Kennerley added that the man’s position is “extremely precarious,” which is hindering all the rescue attempts so far. “These concerns over how securely he is attached have also prevented us from sending someone up the ladder from the bottom. The ladder is also damaged,” he said. “Ladders used by Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service will be mobilised to see if they can assist while we are awaiting the arrival of the cherry picker.”Shouts and wailing could be heard from the chimney before police arrived, according to the PA Media news agency. Police closed roads around the chimney and members of the public were asked to avoid the area.John McVay, an area manager at Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, appealed for anyone who has a cherry picker “in excess of 90 meters” to contact the local authorities.