It was an answer to prayer that came, appropriately enough, on the day set aside for asking for help from above.
Church employee Stephen Morgan, 53, and volunteer John Shappell, 64, were expected to be fine after one fell about 30 feet onto the other shortly before 10 a.m. Thursday at the Plant City Church of God, 2103 Mud Lake Road.
"They're absolutely fine," Kristen Toney, office administrator at the church, said of the pair. "They're a little scraped up, a little bruised up and will probably be a little sore tomorrow."
Church officials started praying for the pair as they were being flown to Tampa General Hospital by medical helicopters.
"They're both doing well and we're very happy for that; a good thing to happen on the National Day of Prayer," Toney said.
Tampa General spokeswoman Ellen Fiss said late Thursday afternoon Morgan had been discharged. Shappell was listed in good condition, but his condition will be further evaluated before a decision is made on whether to release him, she said.
Two medical helicopters summoned by emergency workers as a precautionary measure, given the distance of the fall, landed on the church campus for the rescue, then flew the men to Tampa General.
Fire Rescue spokesman Capt. Jim Wilson said the men were pressure-cleaning the church steeple. One man was at the top of the extension ladder when it slipped and he fell onto the other worker, who was either standing a few steps up the ladder or holding the ladder, Wilson said.
It wasn't clear which man fell onto the other.
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