A WORKMAN who blacked out at the top of a 50ft crane hasa been dramatically rescued by specialist firefighters.

The drama happened on Thursday afternoon on a tower crane at a construction site in Bell Road, Sittinbgbourne.

The workman, Kirk Hayes, 36, from Hoath, near Canterbury, was using the crane when he suddenly felt ill and collapsed. Firefighters from Medway tried to use their Bronto Sky-lift height appliance to reach him as paramedics climbed the tower to care for him on the mesh floor of the crane arm.

The fire engine was not high enough to safely reach him, but a specialist line rescue team based at Deal fire station was already on its way.

Three of their team donned climbing equipment and one of them, leading firefighter Paul Evans, lowered Mr Hayes gently to the ground by specialist ropes.

Watching the drama unfold was Mr Hayes' father Tom, who said: "I cannot praise the emergency services enough for rescuing my son. He has worked on cranes for nine years and nothing like this has ever happened before."

He was conscious when brought down from the crane and was able to walk into the waiting ambulance to be taken away for checks.

The crane was being used to build retirement apartments for the company McCarthy and Stone.

Sittingbourne fire station commander Tim Gibson said: "We could not risk harnessing him to a stretcher through the crane tower in case he blacked out half-way down, so using the line rescue team was the best option."