Boy cuts safety rope of 'noisy' construction worker

Boy cuts safety rope of 'noisy' construction worker

He was watching a cartoon on TV but the noise of construction work outside his apartment was drowning it out.

So the 10-year-old did the unthinkable - he cut the safety rope of a worker who was installing lights outside his apartment in Guizhou province in south-western China.

The worker, known only as Mr Liu, was left suspended in mid-air for up to 40 minutes, eight storeys up and 30m from the ground. He could not move up or down, Xinhua reported.

His co-worker, Mr Zhang, told reporters that he and Mr Liu were sent by their company to install outdoor landscape lights for the apartment complex.

Mr Zhang said he suddenly heard Mr Liu yell that his safety rope had been slit.

He immediately called the fire service to help his colleague, shanghaiist reported.

When the firemen and policemen arrived at the scene, they realised that the residents of the apartments on the ninth and 10th storeys were not at home.

So they decided to pull Mr Liu up from a balcony on the 11th storey.

Mr Liu said: "When I was using the electric drill, I felt my lower rope shaking. Then I saw the boy cutting the rope with a knife."

"I shouted at him to stop but he didn't listen. Soon after, the rope was broken. That was when I called to my workmate for help."

The boy confessed after the police spoke to him. His father, known only as Mr Tang, was at work but was told by the police to return home.

He apologised to Mr Liu on behalf of his son and compensated him with a new safety rope.

This article was published on Aug 31 in The New Paper.

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