Man Rescued After Climbing 900 Feet Up St. Louis TV Tower Barefoot

A precarious and highly dangerous rescue operation unfolded in the St. Louis area on Wednesday afternoon after an unidentified man was found high up a prominent broadcast structure.

The incident occurred at the towering KSDK television transmission tower on Heege Road, one of the region’s tallest man-made structures. Fire officials confirmed they received a distress call around 2:30 p.m. reporting a man scaling the lattice.

Rescuers faced an immediate, life-threatening situation as the man was discovered nearly 900 feet above the ground and, strangely, was reportedly barefoot. Authorities stated they believed the individual may have been intoxicated.

Adding to the confusion was the man’s bizarre claim to on-site personnel. Steven Garcia, who was working near the base of the tower, recounted the unusual exchange: “He said he was here to work and we were a bit confused as to who he was and where he came from. I brought him to my foreman and my foreman spoke to him and realized this gentleman was not the new guy we were expecting.”

Shortly before 4 p.m., specialized fire protection teams from the Lemay Fire Protection District and surrounding departments successfully brought the man down. Maplewood’s Assistant Chief Matt Wilcox underscored the severity of the challenge, telling reporters, “It’s a very dangerous rescue.”

The man was immediately transported to a local hospital for a full medical and psychological evaluation. Officials confirmed they are still investigating the circumstances and remain unclear why the individual attempted the hazardous and unauthorized climb.