Loop Parkway Drawbridge Collapse
Search crews continued looking Friday for a missing worker who fell from scaffolding under the Loop Parkway drawbridge.
A crew of eight painters and repair workers was servicing the steel structure on Wednesday when temporary scaffolding underneath gave way, plunging two men into the water, according to CBS News.
One coworker dove 50 feet into the water to rescue the pair. He recovered one worker, but sadly succumbed himself, New York State Police Lt. Michael Grosso said.
“He did a heroic thing by jumping in. That’s a large drop, and he was able to recover the one victim. Unfortunately, he did succumb,” Grosso told CBS News.
The Rescue Effort on the Water
Tow boat operators Peter Galbraith and Joe Lilli rushed to help after hearing distress calls from the bridge. They spotted workers stranded on the fallen scaffolding.
“We saw the guys on the part of the scaffold that fell over, and they were frantic,” Lilli said to CBS News.
Police recruited the boat operators to rescue a third worker stranded at the bridge base. Galbraith described finding the stranded individual shaking and injured.
“Trembling, almost. No shoes, bloodied feet,” Galbraith told CBS News.
Agencies Investigate the Cause of the Collapse
Authorities subsequently asked the boaters to assist in the search for the second missing worker. That all-hands-on-deck search entered its third day on Friday.
The construction company released a statement to CBS News New York expressing heartbreak over the incident and thanking first responders for their selfless service.
Federal and state agencies are now investigating the collapse to determine the cause. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Department of Transportation, and New York State Police are reviewing the site, with police examining whether criminal negligence played a factor.
Drawbridge Incident Questions
Why were the workers on the Loop Parkway drawbridge?
An eight-person crew was painting and repairing the steel components of the bridge when the temporary scaffolding beneath them collapsed on Wednesday.
Who are the victims identified in the bridge collapse?
Thirty-nine-year-old Kleiton De Madeiros died at the hospital following the fall, while 38-year-old Diogo De Oliveira remained unaccounted for as search operations continued.
Which agencies are investigating the structural failure?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Department of Transportation, and New York State Police are conducting inquiries to determine what went wrong.
“How these people were affected so terribly,” Lilli said.
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