Andrews firefighter helps rescue man from water tower Published Dec. 8, 2005 By Staff Sgt. Adrianne L. Wilson 89th Airlift Wing Public Affairs ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. (AFPN) -- Andrews and Prince George’s County firefighters rescued a man from atop a 200-foot water tower here. An electrical engineer with the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, Josh Vinson’s blood-sugar level dropped suddenly, while doing routine water tower maintenance the morning of Dec. 5, said Lydia Wilson, a commission spokeswoman. Mr. Vinson’s co-workers called county 911 dispatchers, who then called the Andrews’ fire department and notified them of the situation. When he arrived at the tower, 89th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter Staff Sgt. Jonta L. Paten discovered Mr. Vinson may have been in a diabetic shock. Then he helped Prince George’s Fire Department Company 27 bring the man down. The sergeant’s training -- he attended the Department of Defense Rescue 1 course, which covers rope rescues and high angle rescues -- qualified him to help with the recovery. Prince George’s Fire Department Company 22 also arrived to help. The sergeant climbed the 200-foot ladder to the catwalk. He then found an anchor point to set up the descending devices and found the easiest and safest way to get Mr. Vinson down. Firefighters first treated Mr. Vinson before lowering him. Then they wrapped him in blankets. Capt. Adon Snyder, Prince George’s technical rescue team commander, secured Mr. Vinson into a basket and Sergeant Paten and other firefighters set up the rope system. Sergeant Paten served as the basket attendant. He kept the basket from rotating and attended to Mr. Vinson.Once on the ground, a county emergency medical services squad transported Mr. Vinson to Southern Maryland Hospital in Clinton. He was released the same day in good condition, Ms. Wilson said.