An injured construction worker was hoisted to safety on an on-site crane at VIU's Nanaimo campus on the afternoon of Wednesday, Jan. 28. (Image Credit: (Vancouver Island University))

By Ian Holmes

crane rescue

Multi-use crane aids recovery of wounded Nanaimo worker

Jan 30, 2026 | 2:41 PM

NANAIMO  — An injured construction worker was promptly brought down to safety and into the care of paramedics, thanks to a versatile crane.

It happened on Wednesday, Jan. 28 at Vancouver Island University’s Nanaimo Campus where a 10-storey student housing and dining hall tower is under construction.

Nanaimo Fire Rescue (NFR) assistant chief John MacKenzie said the worker sustained a head injury after falling about 10 feet while working on the seventh floor.

As opposed to establishing its own more time-consuming technical rescue, MacKenzie said the on-site construction crane has an attachable rescue bucket which hooks onto the crane.

“That’s for moving injured workers off the site if they are injured high up. That’s how we got him down so quickly,” MacKenzie told NanaimoNewsNOW.

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MacKenzie said the man appeared to have a head laceration and was conscious and stable on scene.

“We were able to package up the patient, put him in that and lower him to the ground where BC Ambulance took care of him.”

WorkSafeBC confirmed it was informed of the incident and is investigating.

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