MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. — New details - and reactions - have emerged in Wednesday’s crane collapse that killed two workers at a construction site in Brevard County.
The site where the incident happened is a Gilbane Building construction site in Merritt Island where the Cape Canaveral Hospital is under construction.
The crane involved belongs to Maxim Crane Works, as printed on the equipment.
In a statement, Gilbane Building says one of the workers killed was employed by Baker Concrete. The other was hired by another trade contractor.
“It’s a shame two people working had to lose their lives,” said area man Ed Rodowizz.
“We were driving through to pick up the kids and we saw the crane over. We turned around to see if everybody was all right. and police and emergency responders were on site,” said another witness, Kevin Smith.
Gilbane Building says work is suspended while agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, investigate the incident.
In a statement, Gilbane Building said:
“Earlier today, two trade contract workers, one employed by Baker Concrete and the other by another trade contractor, were fatally injured as a result of an incident involving a crane. We share our deepest condolences with the families, loved ones, and co-workers.
The site is secure and work is currently suspended. We are supporting our trade contractors and working with them and the authorities on an active investigation to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
Right now, it’s believed the weather played a factor. The National Weather Service says winds were clocked at over 50 mph when a storm rolled through during the collapse.
People gathering at the site shared how the weather took a turn.
“I was actually at Home Depot just down the street here, and I remember hearing rain while inside the store,” said Rodowizz.
“We saw the high winds the rain was coming through and, it’s my guess it had something to do with that,” said Smith.
Health First released a statement saying, “Earlier today, there was a serious weather-related incident at the Cape Canaveral Hospital construction site involving a crane. No Health First associates were on site at the time, and all are safe.
“Authorities have confirmed that there were two fatalities on the site as a result of this incident. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families, loved ones, and all those affected.
“The site is secure and is currently under an active investigation. We are monitoring the situation closely with local authorities and Gilbane, the construction management company on the project, as they continue their investigation. We understand this is deeply concerning, and we will share additional information as it becomes available. Thank you for your understanding and support as we work through this serious incident together.”
WFTV did some digging into OSHA violations both Gilbane Building and Maxim Crane Works have had since 2015. Each had one violation related to a fatality. Gilbane’s was in May 2018, and Maxim’s was in June 2015
“It’s devastating. It’s sad. These people were just hard at work and had their lives taken,” said Isabella Smith.
The names of those involved have not been released.
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