A Bowling Green man was rescued late Wednesday morning after falling from a Southeastern Displays Inc. billboard and dangling from his safety harness at the corner of U.S. 31-W By-Pass and Meredith Street.

Dwayne Butts of Bowling Green was strapped into his harness and working at the top with his colleague Will Scott just before 11 a.m. when he fell from the sign, Scott said. Butts dropped about eight feet and his harness caught him, preventing him from falling to the ground. 

“I pulled him over and tied another rope to the safety harness in case the safety line gave so he wouldn’t hit the ground,” said Scott, who has been working for the company about four months. The men were attempting to attach a vinyl face to the billboard.

Scott isn’t sure why Butts fell and said his colleague was unconscious after the fall. He wasn’t sure if Butts lost consciousness and then fell or if he lost consciousness after the fall.

Robbie Bond, who is one of the company’s owners, came to the scene immediately and watched as Bowling Green firefighters used a cherry picker attached to a fire truck to reach Butts, unhook him from the sign structure and bring him down to a waiting ambulance.

Another company employee who was not wearing a safety harness fell on a job in Glasgow about three weeks ago, Bond said. Up to that point, the company hadn’t had any falls. That employee fell about 12 feet and landed on the ground and is now recovering in a local rehab center.

“That’s the first time in 25 years I can remember,” Bond said about the first fall. 

Butts’ harness likely saved his life, Bond said.

Safety equipment and the proper use of that equipment is of paramount importance. Employees caught not wearing their safety equipment are fined, Bond said.

“It’s our biggest concern. That’s why we go through the training,” Bond said.

The training takes a half to a full day for employees to learn how to use the safety equipment and how to safely change the vinyl facing on the billboards.

Butts was taken by ambulance to The Medical Center, where he was listed Wednesday in stable condition.

— Follow Assistant City Editor Deborah Highland on Twitter @BGDNCrimebeat or visit bgdailynews.com.