Two Dunedin painters were relieved they remembered to take a mobile phone with them to work yesterday after they were trapped seven floors above the ground while painting the side of Radio House.
The duo, who work for Programmed Property Services, declined to be named, but one of them said it was lucky they had the phone to call for help, because it was getting near the end of their working day and he needed to go to the toilet.
Dunedin Fire Senior Station Officer Ben Pitelen said the men became trapped about 4.30pm when a motor burnt out on the winchable stage they were standing on to paint the south side of the building.
Fire appliances were called soon after and they were rescued from their 27m-high perch by firefighters using one of the Fire Service's aerial appliances.
Mr Pitelen said it was fortunate Dunedin had two aerial appliances. Otherwise they might have been trapped for a lot longer.
The other aerial appliance was "out for servicing" and if they did not have the spare, it would have taken firefighters several hours to abseil down the side of the building to rescue the men.
