2 Men Had to Be Rescued from Md. Hotel Ledge After Fleeing Armed Robbery Inside Room

Two men in Maryland were rescued from a ninth-floor hotel ledge on New Year’s Day after an alleged armed robbery forced them to flee their room through a window.

The incident unfolded in the early morning hours of Jan. 1 at the Embassy Suites Hotel on Democracy Blvd. in Bethesda. According to local reports from WUSA, WTOP, and WJLA, Montgomery County police received a call around 12:43 a.m. reporting a possible armed robbery at the hotel.

Authorities said a man entered a ninth-floor hotel room with a gun and attempted to rob the two occupants. In an effort to escape, the men climbed out of the room’s window and onto a narrow ledge, where they became stranded.

A spokesperson for the Montgomery County Department of Police told WTOP that the men “somehow felt the safest escape route was to climb out on the ledge,” leaving them stuck outside the room for more than an hour.

The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service’s Special Operations Technical Rescue Team responded and used a fire truck ladder to bring the men to safety at approximately 2:30 a.m., according to WTOP. Both men were reportedly uninjured.

Police later confirmed that a suspect connected to the alleged armed robbery was taken into custody.

The incident rattled other guests staying at the hotel. “We’re in shock. It’s shocking to know this happened at this hotel,” said Bruce Lanctot, who was staying on the floor above the room where the incident occurred, in an interview with WJLA.

“It’s a great hotel,” Pamela Lanctot added. “We’ve enjoyed our stay. Everyone’s been especially nice at the front desk with our family. Boy, oh boy, this is quite a shock.”

Despite the ordeal, Bruce Lanctot said he did not want the incident to overshadow the holiday. “I hate to let stuff like that stop our celebrations,” he said. “But I will be more observant about our surroundings.”