An elderly man tumbled right off the edge of his roof while he was blowing leaves on Wednesday afternoon, but managed to cling to the tiles while he waited for the police to save him, according to video of the incident.
The man, who was not publicly identified, let out a heavy sigh of relief once he spotted a pair of officers scaling his roof and inching towards him, according to the body camera footage released by the Tampa Police Department.
An elderly man slipped and nearly toppled off the roof of his home while blowing leaves. facebook/TampaPD
“I got you, sir,” one of the officers said as they approached him.
“I’m glad somebody’s got me,” the elderly man responded.
Officers Jason Sikoski and Kaleb Girard, both with the Tampa Police Department, rushed to rescue an elderly man who was reportedly seen dangling off the roof of his three-story home.
When they arrived, the man was clinging to the roof tiles, but steadily sliding. His legs were already hanging over the edge, according to the video.
The duo hurried to the top floor of his home and climbed through a window to access the roof.
Two officers with the Tampa Police Department dragged him back onto the roof. facebook/TampaPD
Each officer grasped one of the man’s wrists as they gingerly hauled him back up to safety. The man did his best to tough out the pain even as the tiles scraped against his bare legs.
The trio took a breather on the roof once the man was safe — and he sheepishly offered his sincerest apology.
The elderly man lauded the officers with praise. facebook/TampaPD
“I didn’t mean to cause all this,” he said.
“It’s not your fault, that’s what we’re here for,” Girard assured.
“You got here very quickly,” the man praised.
The Tampa Fire Rescue squad later helped the man off the roof. facebook/TampaPD
“That’s what we try to do, yes sir,” Girard said.
“Well, you do a very good job,” the man lauded again.
The Tampa Police Department said the man lost his footing “while blowing leaves on his roof.”
The responding officers were later assisted by the Tampa Fire Rescue squad, which helped lower the man back onto the ground, according to its Facebook post.
“We’re grateful for their quick response, and for a community that trusts us to be there when it matters most!” the police department wrote.
Many strangers sympathized with the elderly man. One user suggested he may have thought he was still spry enough to “do silly things” like scaling his roof.