Bogue Chitto first responders climbed to lofty heights Wednesdayto rescue a cellular telephone service employee who was overcomewith heat exhaustion while working on a tower in southern LincolnCounty.

Matt Tyrel, 25, became exhausted while working on the cellulartower on Bogue Chitto Road around 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, Bogue Chittofirefighter Mike King said.

King said Tyrel, an employee of a New York company, was about175 to 200 feet up on the tower and had been working about an hour.Wasps, which had a nest on the tower, attacked Tyrel in addition tothe heat exhaustion.

“They tore him up pretty good …,” King said. “He was well onthe heat exhaustion side, anyway.”

King said firefighters, first responders and company employeesused a block and tackle system and a harness to free Tyrel, who wasworking on the inside of the tower.

“We had to work to get him on the outside of the tower and gethim down,” King said. “Once we got him out, we eased him ondown.”

Tyrel was taken to King’s Daughters Medical Center, where he wastreated in the emergency room and released, said Jennifer Jackson,KDMC director of marketing.

King gave credit to all involved in the unusual rescue.

“It was a real team effort on the part of everybody,” Kingsaid.