A construction worker died Thursday morning after falling more than 50 feet at a Manhattan job site. The incident happened just before 9 a.m. on the west side of Manhattan which is near 12th Avenue and 30th Street in the area of the Hudson Yards development. The worker was at a deep excavation inside the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing project when he fell into a pit.
Firefighters and EMS crews arrived at the scene quickly and lowered rescue equipment, such as ropes, into the hole to reach the worker. According to the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), they found the man unconscious and pulled him out using a stretcher and crane. EMS could be seen performing CPR overhead by the Chopper 2. He was then taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The FDNY stated the worker, 52-year-old Jorge Sanchez, had been on a recently poured concrete wall when he fell. Work on the site has been suspended while the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other agencies search for the cause of this accident.
Sanchez’s family created a GoFundMe page to help support them during this devastating loss.
“We are devastated in our hearts from this heart-aching pain that will forever live with us,” said his daughter Gloria Sanchez on the page. “He was the kindest soul you could ever meet, helped anyone and everyone, and would never hurt a soul.”
Nery Rodas, Sanchez’s best friend and a fellow worker on the site, spoke of harsh hours they were expected to put into the job, suggesting that could’ve played a part in human error.
“They always tell us, we’re being behind schedule, being behind schedule,” said Rodas. “We’re humans working all those crazy hours that we work .. The body gets tired.”
Executive secretary-treasurer for the NYC District Council of Carpenters Paul Capital made a statement, expressing sorrow over this loss in the carpenter community.
“There are no words strong enough to express the pain and sadness we all feel. He was more than a carpenter,” Capurso said. “He was part of our family, a brother who stood shoulder to shoulder with us every day to build something bigger than ourselves.”
Related Companies, Gateway Development Commission and Amtrak issued a brief joint statement to the victim’s family and confirmed that all work at the site is paused.
“Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this difficult time,” their statement said, adding, “All work is suspended on the site while the incident is under investigation.”
