Teen Falls 45 Feet At Shuttered Gates Rubber Factory

DENVER (CBS4/AP) - A 17-year-old girl has been hospitalized after falling through the roof of a shuttered factory in Denver while she and four companions were taking photos of the sunset.

The girl fell 45 feet and landed on concrete below Sunday afternoon at the Gates Rubber factory south of downtown.

Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said Monday that the four who were with her were issued citations for trespassing, a municipal charge.

Firefighters tried to break into a door but couldn't, so one climbed a 16-foot ladder, crawled through a window and shimmied down the other side of the wall to look for the victim.

"By just hearing those moans it aided us in a quicker search in the building to find her very quickly," Denver fire department spokesman Lt. Phil Champagne said.

The girl is currently at Denver Health Medical Center with serious injuries. Her name has not been released.

The old Gates factory has been closed for a decade. It has become popular with transients wanting shelter, but it's also a haven for thrill seekers.

"They want to come in and explore the caves but it's not worth the risk," Champagne said.

"It's a rugged building, it's a rugged structure and it's very dangerous to go in there," Sonny Jackson with Denver police said.

The Gates Corporation says since regaining title to the site the company has increased security patrols, retained off duty police to patrol the site, boarded up windows and secured other areas of potential entry.

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