Two workers are reported to have suffered serious injuries Wednesday morning after one fell at least 30 feet off scaffolding on the Ross Island Bridge onto his colleague below, authorities say.

Fire crews responded about 8:25 a.m. to the bridge south of downtown Portland and were able to lower the two men to the ground, said Portland Fire & Rescue spokesman Lt. Rich Chatman. They were both conscious and taken to OHSU Hospital.

One man fell from upper scaffolding to a lower platform while painting the bridge and hit the other worker on his way down, said Dave Thompson, an Oregon Department of Transportation spokesman. He said he didn't know what caused the worker to fall.

The identities of the men have not been released. The bridge repainting is part of a rehabilitation project that began in 2014.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com
503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey

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