Workers rescued from Midtown scaffolding

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Two workers had to be rescued off a scaffolding in Midtown Manhattan Friday morning.

The workers were removed from the scaffolding, which was tilting, between the 12th and 13th floors of a building on East 57th Street around 8:45 a.m.

The scaffold has since been brought down, but for a few terrifying moments, the block came to a standstill. Hundreds of people on the street were craning their necks to see what was going on, while NewsCopter7 took in the scene from above.

The men, along with a third who had already climbed through a window, were doing work on the building when the rope on one side gave way. Emergency responders were able to quickly secure the workers and pull them to safety.

"He had the death grip," one rescuer said.

"He didn't want to come in," his partner said. "Didn't want to go down, didn't want to come in."

The rescue offered tense moments for those who work in the building.

"We could see ropes swinging from outside our window," one woman said. "So we went over to the window, and I stuck my head out. And I could see his feet. So I kind of stepped back a bit, because it was a little terrifying."

No injuries were reported, credited to the safety harnesses and precautions that thankfully worked as intended. The street was closed in both directions for the emergency response.