Scaffolding collapses leaving two men trapped on Swanage roof

Two roofers had a lucky escape when scaffolding collapsed across a road in Swanage, Dorset, smashing a car windscreen and leaving them stranded on a roof.

The incident happened just before 11 am on Tuesday 6th August 2024 in Osborne Road in South Swanage.

Collapsed scaffolding in Osborne Road
Swanage Fire Station

The scaffolding fell across Osborne Road damaging a car

Both men safely rescued

A local painter and decorator who was passing, was able to put his ladder up to get one of the men down, who’d just been about to step off the roof onto the scaffolding, before it crashed to the ground.

Swanage firefighters were quickly on the scene along with a crew from Westbourne and a technical rescue crew from Weymouth, who were able to rescue the second man from the roof.

Swanage Fire Station reported:

“We used our nine metre ladder and roof ladder to get the person down safely and then made the scene safe until the scaffolding had been removed from the road.”

This incident followed a late night for Swanage Fire Station when its firefighters were called to put out a car fire following a collision involving two vehicles along the B3351 between Corfe Castle and Studland.

Swanage Fire Station attends burning car
Swanage Fire Station

Following a crash, the car caught alight

Swanage Fire Station attends burning car
Swanage Fire Station

The road was closed while the emergency services dealt with the incident

Car crash fire

The crew was called out just before 11 pm on Monday 5th August 2024 to extinguish the car fire and the nearby undergrowth that had also caught alight.

Swanage Fire Station reported:

“Luckily everyone was out of both vehicles on our arrival and only suffered minor injuries.”

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