Besides, there's at least a moral responsibility to lend immediate aid that does not endanger one's own life in such situtations. In this case as a third party, happening to have wandered into such a strange town, I'd have no compunction taking that ladder by force and rescueing the person. I'd return the ladder. If there was any damage to the ladder, I'd pay the owner for repair or replacement and possibly bill the person I rescued.
Exactly. :)