An emergency escape device includes an escape hole cap fitted from above to an escape hole of a fire evacuation area of a high-rise building so as to cover an inner edge of the escape hole, a guide unit vertically installed to extend above and below the escape hole cap, a descending unit positioned below the escape hole cap and slidably attached to the guide unit in such a manner as to descend along the guide unit, a slowing unit configured to ensure that the descending unit descends along the guide unit at a reduced speed, and a returning unit for returning the descending unit descended along the guide unit to an original position. The emergency escape device may further include a locking unit for keeping the descending unit against downward movement in an upper portion of the guide unit.