86-Year-Old Tampa Man Rescued After Slipping From Roof While Doing Chores

What began as a typical afternoon of household chores quickly became a frightening ordeal for an 86-year-old Tampa homeowner. James Manitaras found himself hanging off his roof, three stories above the ground, on Patterson Street Wednesday afternoon.

“It used to be the old joke that they got cats out of trees. I weigh about 170. They got me off of that roof in good shape,” Manitaras said. “Since I have so much foliage around here, I get up on the roof and blow it off.”

A Sudden Loss of Support

Manitaras said the situation changed when branches he normally relied on for balance had been trimmed.

“I was afraid to walk it, and my shoes weren’t doing real well. So, I decided I would get down and crawl it,” he said.

“Unfortunately, because of the pitch of the roof, every time I would roll over, I would go more towards the edge of the roof.”
Soon, his legs were hanging off the side of the house.

Neighbor’s Call Brings Help

“My neighbor just happened to walk out and saw my legs over the side of the house and called 911,” Manitaras said.

Tampa Police and Tampa Fire Rescue arrived within minutes. “As soon as I heard the sirens, I thought, ‘Oh yes, this is just what I need,’” he said.

Manitaras estimated the fall would have been about 30 feet onto gravel. “I wouldn’t have been very well off,” he added.

A Hard Lesson Learned

After 40 years in the home he built, Manitaras said confidence played a role. “She’s been on me for years not to do it… You get confident,” he said.

Grateful but sore, he credits first responders for saving his life. “I’ve said thank you so many times. I wouldn’t be standing here if it wasn’t for them,” he said.

Now, he admits it may be time to listen to his wife. “Of course, she had been on me for years not to do it… I think I can do everything. I can’t.”

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