97-Year-Old Rescued While Dangling Outside Third-Story Window

A 97-year-old was rescued in the Ukraine when she was cleaning windows 35 feet above the ground and slipped, leaving her dangling outside a window screaming for help.

Grandmother Angela Artyomova was left clinging to an air conditioner unit for half an hour after the incident, managing to wedge her foot into the bracket that held it in place as rescuers rushed to get her.

Neighbors heard Artyomova screaming and called firefighters, who found the woman hanging on for her life outside the third-story window. The firemen realized that there was no time to get a protective air bag up to cushion a possible fall, so they went to work getting up to her.

The rescuers managed to get a ladder up, and the 97-year-old Ukranian woman was rescued just before losing her grip and plummeting to the earth below.

The rescue played out in a series of dramatic photographs and video, which showed firefighters rushing to assemble a ladder as the woman hung on above them.

After it was sent up a single firefighter scaled the shaky ladder, reaching the 97-year-old just as her grip appeared to be giving out. After a few moments talking to the woman, he secured her around the shoulders as another firefighter emerged in the window to help her pull out her leg, which by then was wedged firmly into the support for the air conditioner.

Another firefighter joined to help rescue the 97-year-old, and, after a ladder was raised from the fire truck, the four men worked together to pull her back into the window and to safety.

The woman had a look of shock and relief on her face as her 30-minute ordeal came to a conclusion without any major injuries.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M07xqTxY8uk

After the 97-year-old was rescued she was taken to a local hospital and is being treated for shock.