Drama in Downtown

Couch Threatened to Fall on Woman—Here’s How the Rescue Unfolded

Dramatic rescue in downtown Vienna: Members of the professional fire department freed a 57-year-old woman from the rubble after about three hours.(Bild: Stadt Wien | Feuerwehr)

It came down to centimeters—and seconds: After three floor slabs collapsed on Färbergasse in downtown Vienna, emergency responders launched a dramatic rescue operation. A 57-year-old woman was trapped under the rubble. A couch was threatening to fall directly on top of her.

By the time the fire department arrived, the full extent of the disaster was already apparent. The ceilings of three apartments stacked one above the other had collapsed, and a massive pile of debris and rubble lay on the ground floor.

While two other residents—an 88-year-old woman and the 60-year-old husband of the trapped woman, who had fallen two stories as the floor gave way —were quickly rescued from the building, the fire department had to reach the buried woman from above.

Apartment doors on the second and third floors were removed. High-angle rescue teams finally rappelled down to the 57-year-old woman and were able to locate her. The subsequent rescue operation was extremely dangerous.

Photos show the complex and dangerous rescue efforts:

(Bild: Stadt Wien | Feuerwehr)

(Bild: Stadt Wien | Feuerwehr)

(Bild: Stadt Wien | Feuerwehr)

How the woman was rescued
As the Vienna Fire Department reported on Monday, the rescue crews sometimes had to laboriously work their way toward the woman by hand. At the same time, other unstable parts of the building threatened to collapse. Particularly dangerous: Directly above the trapped woman was a couch that was also in danger of falling.

The firefighters had to be relieved repeatedly so they could continue the grueling work. It took about three hours before the woman could finally be freed from the rubble. Using a rescue stretcher and a battery-powered winch, the seriously injured woman was then hoisted up to the second floor. From there, she was carried out through the stairwell to safety.

Since the rescue operation took longer than expected, a team of specialized responders had been dispatched to assist the woman, explained Daniel Melcher, spokesperson for the Vienna Professional Rescue Service. Two members of the Rope Access Rescue Team (STEG) cared for the injured woman over the course of several hours and provided emergency medical care on site. 

“Thanks to the administration of pain medication and further medical interventions, the 57-year-old was rescued from the rubble hours later in stable condition despite her severe injuries,” he reported. The woman sustained, among other things, multiple fractures and contusions and was taken to a hospital’s trauma unit.

Suspected Negligent Endangerment of the Public
While the fire department and emergency medical services concluded their operation around 4:30 a.m., the police investigation is ongoing. Construction work had been taking place in the building. The State Criminal Investigation Office is now examining whether these works could be related to the collapse. An investigation is underway on suspicion of negligent endangerment of the public.

The roof collapsed on Sunday evening. A large contingent of emergency responders arrived on the scene quickly.(Bild: Berufsrettung Wien)

A total of about 100 firefighters with 26 vehicles were deployed. The professional rescue service treated 17 people from the affected building and surrounding structures.