Photo: nightman1965 / iStock / Getty Images
An elderly woman with dementia was rescued from the rooftop of her four-story apartment building in Poughkeepsie on Wednesday night (July 23). An alert neighbor spotted the woman on the rooftop and immediately called 911 to report the dangerous situation.
City of Poughkeepsie police and fire personnel responded quickly. Firefighters used a fire escape to reach the woman, while others maneuvered a rig to raise a bucket to the roof and safely bring her down. Once on the ground, emergency medical services evaluated her at the scene before transporting her to a local hospital, where her family awaited her arrival.
After ensuring the woman's safety, police and firefighters focused on moving the tower ladder truck, which had been maneuvered through a narrow alleyway to access the building's parking lot. It took about ten minutes to get the rig back onto the street, ready for the next call.