Daring rescue of Enercon worker with arm stuck in wind turbine
Firefighters and doctor were sent to top of Enercon machine to help save technician, with one saying that ‘every movement could have been fatal’
An Enercon technician whose arm became stuck in the gears of a wind turbine has survived thanks to a daring rescue effort that saw a paramedic and firefighters sent to the top of the machine during an hours-long ordeal.
“The man became trapped with one arm in the generator for reasons that are still unclear,” the leading German turbine-maker said in a statement.
“Firefighters, emergency doctors, and paramedics responded with a large-scale deployment to provide medical care and free the injured technician from the life-threatening situation.”
“Enercon was also on site with additional service personnel to support the rescue efforts and help save our colleague.”
The wind turbine involved in the incident was an E-82 machine, confirmed Enercon. Variations of that model typically have power ratings of around 2-3MW.
“Every movement could have been fatal,” said Aerts. “After several hours, we finally managed to free him.”
The rescue operation was reportedly complicated by the fact that, while there was an elevator for the first 80 metres of the turbine, the last 20 metres have to be climbed, making it impossible for the technician to come down that route.
Instead, the technician was strapped to a stretcher and taken out through a hatch in the turbine. He was then lowered from 100 metres down the outside of the turbine using chains.
There was also concern regarding thunder and lightning in the area at that time, said Aerts, adding that “you don't want to be in a steel tower like that” during such conditions.
“He was taken to the hospital by ambulance, where he is still receiving medical care. For now, the most important thing is that our colleague is safe and receiving the care and support he needs. We wish him a quick recovery.”
An emergency physician had gone up to the top of the turbine, he said. Once safely in hospital, the technician underwent surgery.
“We managed to save both his arm and his hand,” said Ritzen. “So there's absolutely no amputation involved.”
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