-
Mar 27, 2008 1:32 pm US/Eastern
-
Digg |
Facebook |
E-mail
|
Print
Workers Killed Are Remembered By Survivors
"I saw it coming down, and it blew my mind," said one survivor.
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
Three of the four men seriously men injured in a construction crane accident in Miami that claimed two lives have been released from the hospital.
On Thursday, police released 911 tapes, one of which had the following:
Caller: "I have some guys injured here on a job site."
911: "What's the address?"
Caller: "2125 North Bayshore Drive. I have some guys underneath some section of a crane."
21-year-old Jeremy Thornsbury and 59-year-old Terrance Hennessy were killed, five other men injured, when a portion of a crane working on the Paramount Bay high-rise construction project in downtown Miami fell, smashing through the roof of a nearby home made famous in the movie "There's Something About Mary."
Worker James Richardson returned to the site, reflecting on co-worker Jeremy Thornsbury. He told CBS4 Sharrie Williams, "He was a good co-worker. I'm very sorry that happened to him. We all are going to miss him."
Hennessy, a safety inspector for an insurance company, died at the construction site; Thornsbury, from Tamarac, died at Jackson Memorial's Ryder Trauma Center.
Trisch Hennessey said of her late brother, "He had a real, dry sense of humor. He was a really good guy." She further said safety was of utmost importance to him, explaining "He wouldn't even talk on a cell phone in the car".
57-year old Theron Cook, 48-year old Russel Dyer, 31-year old Emanoel Souza all checked out of Jackson Memorial Hospital on Wednesday. A fourth man, whose name has not been released, remains hospitalized. A fifth man was treated for minor injuries at the scene and released.
Cook told CBS4 Ted Scouten, "It was just so instantaneous. The only real thing I saw were particles from the roof."
Dyer, a construction driver, told CBS4 Peter D'oench, when a section of a crane fell, he was in one of the building elevators.
"I saw it coming down, and it blew my mind," he commented outside his home, using crutches to help him stand. He said he's suffering from pain in his lower back, ankles and legs.
"I'm hurting, but I'm trying to make it through,' he added.
The accident happened at about 1:45 pm Tuesday at 2066 N. Bayshore drive in Miami.
"It's gonna be a day I'm not gonna (sic) forget...They were lifting the crane up and I guess the wind or something made the section of the crane fall out, or fall through the building," construction worker Chad Seymour told CBS4.
Outside Jackson Memorial Hospital, a family member to one of the injured construction workers told CBS4, "He's talking but we're waiting for the results. He'll need some surgery."
Aerial pictures showed a portion of what appears to be the crane's body lying in a giant hole in the home's tile roof.
Local and Federal investigators aren't saying how the piece of crane fell. They're not revealing whether it was already attached to the tower crane, or if it was about to be connected to it.
The Paramount Bay condo is a high-rise 346-unit luxury complex. The 46-story building is located on Biscayne Bay and next to Margaret Pace Park.
Last week, the Miami-Dade commission approved an ordinance to regulate the use of high-rise cranes and to provide for the certification of crane operators. The county had been working on an ordinance since a fatal crane accident in 2006, but took immediate action after the collapse of a crane in Manhattan earlier this month.
No state law currently regulates the training or certification of crane operators. The ordinance does not take effect until 2009.
The general construction agency at the site of the fallen crane is Bovis Construction. Bovis subcontracted the work involving the crane to Baker Concrete our of Monroe, Ohio. Bovis is a subsidiary of Bovis Lend Lease, which has offices in Sydeny, Australia and London, England. The company showed sales of more than $6.15 billion dollars in 2007.
Wednesday, Bovis issued this statement on the accident:
It appears that a section of crane being raised by Morrow Equipment, a subcontractor of Baker Concrete, became disengaged during a lift yesterday afternoon and fell onto a house being used as a field office for our construction workers.
At this stage, the cause of the accident is not known and may take some time to fully understand. All parties involved are fully cooperating with the authorities in their investigations.
Our hearts go out to the families of the two deceased workers, one of whom was one of our employees, and to the five injured workers, two of whom are our employees. As this has directly impacted our staff, we are offering support, including counseling services, for those effected by this tragedy.
We are asking that the media please respect the privacy of the families of the deceased, those who are injured and all of the construction workers at this site during this very difficult time.
Further statements will be released either electronically or through Lt. Carroll, as new information becomes available to us.
Mary Costello | Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs
Bovis was the general contractor involved in a 2001 Australian accident that prompted a walk out by more than 100 workers. The New York Times reported Bovis was also the general contractor at several work sites in and around New York where at least 3 workers died in accidents involving cranes.
The home damaged by the crane is known to movie viewers as a setting for a portion of the movie "There's Something About Mary" starring Cameron Diaz and Ben Stiller.
Hennessy, a safety inspector for an insurance company, died at the construction site; Thornsbury, from Tamarac, died at Jackson Memorial's Ryder Trauma Center. 57-year old Theron Cook, 48-year old Russel Dyer, 31-year old Emanoel Souza all checked out of Jackson Memorial Hospital on Wednesday. A fourth man, whose name has not been released, remains hospitalized. A fifth man was treated for minor injuries at the scene and released. Cook told CBS4 Ted Scouten, "The accident happened at about 1:45 pm Tuesday at 2066 N. Bayshore drive in Miami. "It's gonna be a day I'm not gonna (sic) forget...They were lifting the crane up and I guess the wind or something made the section of the crane fall out, or fall through the building," construction worker Chad Seymour told CBS4. Outside Jackson Memorial Hospital, a family member to one of the injured construction workers told CBS4, "He's talking but we're waiting for the results. He'll need some surgery." Aerial pictures showed a portion of what appears to be the crane's body lying in a giant hole in the home's tile roof. Local and Federal investigators aren't saying how the piece of crane fell. They're not revealing whether it was already attached to the tower crane, or if it was about to be connected to it. The Paramount Bay condo is a high-rise 346-unit luxury complex. The 46-story building is located on Biscayne Bay and next to Margaret Pace Park. Last week, the Miami-Dade commission approved an ordinance to regulate the use of high-rise cranes and to provide for the certification of crane operators. The county had been working on an ordinance since a fatal crane accident in 2006, but took immediate action after the collapse of a crane in Manhattan earlier this month. No state law currently regulates the training or certification of crane operators. The ordinance does not take effect until 2009. The general construction agency at the site of the fallen crane is Bovis Construction. Bovis subcontracted the work involving the crane to Baker Concrete our of Monroe, Ohio. Bovis is a subsidiary of Bovis Lend Lease, which has offices in Sydeny, Australia and London, England. The company showed sales of more than $6.15 billion dollars in 2007. Wednesday, Bovis issued this statement on the accident: Mary Costello | Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs Bovis was the general contractor involved in a 2001 Australian accident that prompted a walk out by more than 100 workers. The New York Times reported Bovis was also the general contractor at several work sites in and around New York where at least 3 workers died in accidents involving cranes. The home damaged by the crane is known to movie viewers as a setting for a portion of the movie "There's Something About Mary" starring Cameron Diaz and Ben Stiller.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Top 5 Most Popular Celebrity Slideshows