A police officer's brave action and a scaffolder's Kiwi ingenuity led to the recovery of a man from scaffolding high on the Dunedin Town Hall yesterday.
The drama closed parts of Moray Pl and Filleul St for about an hour during lunch time.
Sergeant Ben Butterfield said police were looking for a 33-year-old man who was seen climbing the scaffolding in front of the town hall.
He was nearly at the top before he stopped and sat down.
"Due to a medical condition, the man was unable to get down by himself," Sgt Butterfield said.
Senior Constable Mal Parker clambered from the town hall roof and down the scaffolding to sit with the man, he said. He then used a belt to secure him.
"It was a very brave effort by the police officer," Sgt Butterfield said.
A police team, fire and ambulance staff attended, plus cliff rescue was called to assist.
The on-site scaffold manager also used his ingenuity to assemble extra scaffolding from the library roof to the section where the man was lying.
Emergency services staff were then able to hoist the man across to the library roof, Sgt Butterfield said.
He was then carried down to an ambulance and taken to Dunedin Hospital.
