Man rescued from building collapse treated and released from hospital

CLEVELAND - A man rescued by Cleveland firefighters after a roof collapsed has been treated and released from MetroHealth Medical Center.

The victim was identified as 40-year-old Adam Gibbons and was pinned under debris when the roof of an abandonned building in the 2200 block of Ashland Avenue on Cleveland's near East side collapsed this morning.

A second man escaped unharmed and called for help.

Assistant Cleveland Fire Chief Pat Kelly said both were lucky to be alive.

"It was a tremendous amount of weight on him and he was in there for quite some time," said Kelly.

Steve Sancic arrived on the scene after the incident and said both men worked for his father's scrap company.

"Some of his employees were scraping metal out of the building and one of them got trapped underneath the second floor when the roof collapsed," said Sancic

Sancic's father later said he was unaware the men had gone into the building today. He said he bought the property in a real estate deal that did not work out and is now hoping it's foreclosed on and demolished.

John Brown lives in the neighborhood and says he has complained about the vacant building for years.

"For the scrap--that somebody could go into there and get hur--it ain't worth it," said Brown.

"I mean, it shouldn't be there. It should have been torn down."

Cleveland Firefighters say they will recommend the building be demolished.