Illinois electrician survives six-hour entrapment in towering gas-station sign

AJ Gow, an electrician who services signage, was performing routine maintenance on a 130-foot-tall sign at a Wilmington gas station when his lift stalled, leaving him suspended for over six hours. As the temperature rose and water ran out, he recorded a final goodbye for his family, fearing he might not survive. A co-worker fetched water and a battery-powered fan, but the lift could not be raised again.

Fire crews arrived, but their 100-foot ladders could not reach the height, so authorities sourced a larger lift from a job site 17 miles distant, escorted by police. Upon arrival, Gow signaled a thumbs-up to a news helicopter before being lowered safely. He was treated for severe dehydration, later released, and returned to work with a renewed commitment to stay inside the lift bucket.