South Carolina boatyard worker dies after falling up to 100 feet into ship’s smokestack
This the fourth reported death at the shipyard since 2019
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
A man in South Carolina was killed after falling from a height of 100 feet to the bottom of a ship’s smokestack while working, officials said.
The unnamed 63-year-old man was working while standing on a small platform inside the smokestack. But the platform gave way and the man fell to the bottom of the structure on Sunday, said North Charleston’s police department.
The workers lost sight of the man after he fell to the bottom of the ship but maintained audible contact with him till he became unresponsive, officials said in an incident report.
The man was found dead with injuries by first responders, the report said.
The incident was dubbed an “industrial accident” by police who said the victim was not wearing a harness when he stood around 63 to 100 feet on the smokestack, reported South Carolina-based newspaper The State.
The incident is being investigated by the US labour department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The incident took place at 1670 Drydock Avenue in the Detyens Shipyards, which is the largest commercial shipyard on the East Coast. It was founded by Bill Detyens around 60 years ago and provides repair work for commercial and military vessels.
The company has not issued a statement in response to the incident yet.
Since 2019, at least four people, including the 63-year-old worker, have allegedly died at the shipyard in various accidents, reported The Post and Courier newspaper.
In April 2019, welder Juan Villalobos Hernandez died at the shipyard after being struck by a heavy piece of equipment that was sprung free when a rope snapped on the lifeboat he was working on, pinning him against the boat’s equipment.
Another man Martin Anthony, 51, died allegedly by falling on 27 June 2019 at the shipyard.
On 13 January 2020, a 34-year-old worker identified as David Clark died after he was hit by a shackle and plummeted nearly four stories from the top dock of the ship while working.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments