Harold Brown survives 29-story fall at Transamerica Pyramid

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Film Date
3/30/78
Film Reference Number
KPIX 139824
Description
KPIX-TV news footage from March 30, 1978 featuring brief scenes of paramedics treating Harold Brown, on the second floor concrete base of a ventilation shaft at the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco. Brown, a 22 year old from Tacoma, WA has just survived a 324 foot fall down this ventilation shaft and can be heard humming and chanting what sounds like: "God help me." Apparently Brown had walked into the lobby at around 10:15pm and announced to security guard Michael Silveira: "I want to see the man at the top!" He then ran up the stairs, eluded capture and let himself fall down the shaft. Brown shattered both femurs, both kneecaps and a heel bone in the fall and underwent multiple surgeries at San Francisco General Hospital. A retrospective account of what happened was published by SFGATE online, by Andrew Chamings on March 13, 2022. Opening graphic designed by Carrie Hawks.

This 16mm color reversal film print was scanned in 4K (4096 x 2970) using a Lasergraphics ScanStation film scanner, in September 2024.
Format
16mm newsfilm