[Press Release] : Columbia firefighters assist MUPD and MU power plant officials with female climber on smokestacks

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Battalion Chief Steven E. Sapp, Public Information Officer -
(573) 499-7035 

Columbia firefighters assist MUPD and MU power plant officials with
female climber on smokestacks

COLUMBIA, MO (July 10, 2008) - Columbia firefighters were called to the
MU power plant at the corner of Fifth and Providence around 4:06 a.m. to
assist MUPD with a female who had managed to scale a fence surrounding
the power plant and climb 325 feet to the top of the west stack. When
firefighters arrived, the woman was completing her climb and then lay
down on the metal catwalk which surrounds the top of the stack. 

At about 6 a.m., the female began to move around on the catwalk and a
few minutes later made it to the ladder which she had climbed earlier.
She began to descend the ladder, taking a number of breaks before
reaching a second catwalk at about the 165-foot level of the stacks. The
woman rested there for about 15 minutes and then began another descent,
again going very slowly and making a number of stops on the way down. 

Around 7:45 a.m., the woman made it to the 30-foot level and was
assisted by a firefighter to the ground. She was then assisted by
paramedics from University Hospitals where she was transported for
evaluation.

Columbia firefighters had activated members of the Technical Rescue
Team and were working with MUPD to ascend the stack and assist the woman
when she began her descent.

Technical rescue team members were planning on taking a cache of rescue
equipment, including safety harnesses, ropes and pulleys, to the middle
and top landings. From the top landing of the stack, the woman would
have been placed in a safety harness and then attached to a safety line.
The plan was for her to then descend on her own power with a safety
harness and safety line, in the event she slipped, to the second
platform. From there, the first safety line would have been detached, a
second safety line anchored to the second platform attached, and then
she would descend to the ground. Before the plan could be implemented,
the woman began her descent and was successful in reaching the bottom
without incident. 

The woman is a 23 year-old Columbia resident. Her sister was on the
scene after being called by acquaintances.Questions regarding the
woman's name, how she gained access to the stack ladder and any possible
pending charges, etc. should be directed to MUPD. 

- 30 -
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