Heat is often a factor in drive failures, so I suggest letting it cool down, before trying to back up the data from it. Some say that cooling a drive in the fridge or freezer gives you more uptime, though I haven't tried that myself.
My external HDD started making worn bearing sounds at the instant the warranty (1 year) expired. If I light the computer before the central heating has taken the room temperature above about 15 deg C, the bearing repeatedly chatters to a near stop until friction warms it. It sounds dreadful in that state; imagine a U-Boot at diving stations!
Accordingly, I think I will keep it away from the fridge. I must also transfer the data while I can still access it.