TWO men who threatened to leap from a 10-storey crane were rescued after a three-hour ordeal at 100 feet on Monday evening.

Crews from Dorset Fire and Rescue, police officers and paramedics visited a building site at the back of the Old Fire Station in Holdenhurst Road at 6.30pm to a report of two men, aged 29 and 30, on a crane.

Specially-trained fire crews scaled the crane by climbing the ladder on the inside of the structure and using an aerial ladder platform to rescue the men in freezing conditions.

Incident commander Stu Jeneson, who is based in the Dorset Fire and Rescue headquarters in Dorchester, said crews from around the county took part in the rescue.

“I ended up speaking to both of the men up there myself – we were able to communicate with them through their mobile phones,” he said.

“This reassured us that we were taking the right course of action to get them down and make sure that course of action was safe for my crews.”

It is believed the first call to the emergency services was made by the sister of one of the men on a mobile phone.

A police negotiator was involved in the rescue, and spoke to the men through a loud hailer.

Both men were able to climb back down the ladder on the inside of the crane after being harnessed for safety.

Inspector Simon Letch of Dorset Police said: “There was some fantastic multi-agency work tonight and I’m pleased to say no one was hurt.”

Bournemouth borough councillor Robert Chapman praised the emergency services for their work.

He said: “I commend the actions of the emergency services during the incident.

“It is not something I would ever want to do myself.”

A spokesperson from Southern Central Ambulance Service said: “One of the men was believed to be feeling suicidal. We sent four of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) vehicles.”

The men were treated at the scene and discharged.