The chimney was restored recently so the ladder was probably in pretty good condition.
Unfortunately sometimes these sorts of structures are often a long standing “dare” to climb up, couple that with too many Stellas and you’ve got someone who used to be fit bragging and going through with a very dangerous climb beyond their physical ability at the time. Fred Dibnah started by climbing a chimney which he shouldn’t have been doing – the 262ft Barrow bridge one for a bet when he was young.
Probably been quite a few people done it over the years with no ill effect but that’s probably through luck more than anything else.
This guy might have got to the top and while moving around on the top of the ladder slipped and got caught in the ropes.