2 Window Washers Rescued From Scaffolding At Lower Manhattan Building

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Two window washers were pulled to safety during a dramatic rescue Tuesday morning after the scaffolding they were on became stuck about 17 stories up a Lower Manhattan building.

PHOTOS: Scaffolding Rescue In Lower Manhattan

The scaffolding appeared to have broken loose and was dangling at a precarious angle at the Federal Reserve building when FDNY crews arrived at the scene on Maiden Lane, just off of Nassau Street, around 10 a.m.

Bobby Wells was down on the street.

"We heard a big splash of water, everybody looked up, saw the scaffolding dangling down and seen the guys on the far end here," he told WCBS 880's Rich Lamb.

One emergency responder rappelled down from the roof to the stuck workers. FDNY crews inside the building broke a window and managed to pull the workers to safety.

"When we got the call initially, we heard that a rope snapped and some scaffolding workers were in danger of falling," NYPD Detective Robert Mirkfield told CBS2's Christine Sloan.

Mirkfield was the detective repelling down from the top of the 27-story building to rescue the workers who were stuck for nearly 40 minutes in the dangling scaffold that somehow came loose.

"I got a line to the two guys," Mirkfield said.

Other members of the NYPD Emergency Service Unit connected the lines to an anchor on the roof. On the 16th floor, the fire department cut open a window so Mirkfield could drag the two men to safety.

"I said 'carefully climb into the window' cause there's a lot of jagged edges," he said.

The workers were treated and released from New York Presbyterian Hospital.

The hero who rescued them said they weren't scared.

"They said, 'No, we're fine.' They seemed relatively calm," Mirkfield said.

"Right now OSHA is on the scene and the Department of Labor is on the scene investigating scaffolding incidents," NYPD Deputy Assistant Michael Gala said.

Mirkfield said the unit trains by repelling from choppers and buildings.