A recent episode of Fox’s 9-1-1: Lone Star (starring Rob Lowe) portrayed a tower rescue by a local fire emergency squad in Austin, TX. The show depicted Lowe’s character, Owen Strand, and Gina Torres as paramedic captain Tommy Vega, saving a tower climber who was in harness but dangling unconscious for unknown reasons. In the world of high TV drama, the climber was apparently shot through the leg by a bolt from a crossbow from….are you ready?…climbers on a nearby tower. The action doesn’t stop at the tower, however, as the crew also later responds to a military tank on the loose and a human pile-up at the roller derby….all in the same episode.
Inside Towers asked tower climbers and safety experts to comment on the clip, anonymously, and drew a surprising difference of opinions. While some commented “not bad for a tv show” and “pretty entertaining” others had a plethora of questions and comments:
- “Why are they taking off his pants, just get him to the ground and assess his vitals with the 20 EMTs waiting on the ground.”
- “She is struggling climbing with her back lanyards, but Rob Lowe is on a safety climb… much easier.”
- “Rob Lowe’s lanyard does not close around the steel, HUGE violation!”
- “Side loading of Rob Lowe/woman has improperly connected both lanyards.”
- “Why is she climbing above the patient? and why do they have NO rope?”
- “Why is she above him and not rigging anything?”
- “Why is the hook on the lanyard attached to his back D ring? makes no sense.”
- “Rob has both lanyards attached at different anchor points/rope ?/ I hear no communication with the patient– nothing to the 911 crews on the ground.”
- “Suddenly both lanyards are at the same anchor point?? not allowed by the manufacturer.”
Fox producers and Rob Lowe were not available for comment. Watch the video here.
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