Sudden cracks in glass observation ledge terrify tourists 1,300 feet up

Visitors on the see-through SkyDeck 1,300 feet above downtown Chicago got a scare Monday when the protective layer covering the glass splintered into thousands of pieces.

By Sophie Sherry and Christina Zdanowicz, CNN

(CNN) — Visitors on the see-through SkyDeck 1,300 feet above downtown Chicago got a scare Monday when the protective layer covering the glass splintered into thousands of pieces.

A spokesman for the Willis Tower told CNN affiliate WBBM no one was in any danger, and that the protective layer is meant just to prevent scratches to the viewing area known as the Ledge.

Chicago-area resident Jesus Pintado captured the harrowing moment on video.

“There was a woman with two kids and they looked really pale and scared because the floor just cracked,” Pintado told WBBM.

The glass ledge extends 4 feet out from the 103rd floor of Willis Tower — formerly Sears Tower — allowing an unobstructed view to the street below. It attracts about 1.5 million visitors each year.

Made of three layers of half-inch-thick glass laminated together, it is designed to hold up to five tons.

The protective layer cracked before, in May 2014.

Protective Layer Of Willis Tower Skydeck Ledge Cracks Under Visitors' Feet https://t.co/osEwLtogwI pic.twitter.com/gcOSYcgC8H

— CBS Chicago (@cbschicago) June 12, 2019