Archive · 25 Aug 2026
Electrician Rescued After Hours Trapped Inside 130-Foot Sign
AJ Gow was fixing wires inside a very tall sign.
His lift stopped working and could not bring him back down.
He was stuck about 130 feet above the ground.
It was hot inside the sign, and there was not much air.
Gow became sick and worried that something bad might happen.
He recorded a message for his wife and children in case he did not survive.
Rescue workers used special equipment to reach him.
They brought him safely back to the ground, where medical workers checked him.
Electrician AJ Gow became trapped inside a 130-foot commercial sign in Wilmington during maintenance work on July 23.
A malfunctioning lift stranded him inside the sign while he was working high above the ground.
Heat and a lack of airflow left Gow feeling ill and increasingly afraid for his safety.
Gow recorded a goodbye message for his wife and children because he feared rescuers might not arrive in time.
Firefighters and rescue technicians reached him after several hours and safely lowered him to the ground for medical evaluation.
- Who
- Electrician AJ Gow, along with firefighters, rescue technicians, and emergency medical personnel.
- What
- Gow became trapped inside a 130-foot commercial sign during electrical maintenance and was later rescued.
- When
- July 23; he was trapped for several hours.
- Where
- Inside a commercial sign at a station in Wilmington, about an hour southwest of Chicago, United States.
- Why
- The lift malfunctioned while Gow was working, leaving him stranded in hot, poorly ventilated conditions.
- Worker
- AJ Gow
- Sign height
- 130 feet
- Date
- July 23
- Incident location
- Wilmington, United States
- Cause
- A lift malfunctioned during electrical repairs
- Rescue duration
- Several hours
- Outcome
- Gow was safely lowered and medically evaluated on-site