Supposed Roof-Jumper Really Just a Roofer
June 27, 2006
Dieter Holmblutter, 30, was innocently talking to his girlfriend on his cell phone when the fire department pulled up behind him with chutes and ladders and the whole nine yards.
No, he wasn't a wanted criminal and he wasn't in a blazing building. He was standing on a building -- a perfectly cool one -- just taking a little break from the 9 to 5. Actually he stands on buildings for a living -- Holmblutter is a roofer.
The fire department in the town of Saarbrücken, however, took the roofer for a desperate man ready to jump five stories to his death. They closed the street and raised their aerial ladders.
Deep in conversation with his girlfriend, Holmblutter apparently didn't notice the commotion he had inadvertently caused until she asked why she could hear sirens in the background.
According to officials, the roofer will have to foot the bill for the fire fighters' time and the expense of bringing out the trucks -- even though he was just doing his job.
Hopefully he won't stand so close to the edge next time.