Two years on, crane collapse cause still under wraps

Nearly two years after a crane collapse on a Kelowna construction site killed five people, RCMP and WorkSafeBC have released an “update” on their investigations into the tragedy – but no new information was actually shared.

On July 12, 2021, the arm of a crane fell about 25 storeys as it was being dismantled at the site of a residential tower, hitting a neighbouring office building and a seniors' home.

Construction workers Cailen Vilness, Patrick Stemmer, Eric Stemmer and Jared Zook were killed. Brad Zawislak, who was working in the office building, also died. A fifth construction worker was injured in the collapse.

The statement confirms that WorkSafeBC knows what caused the collapse. “The primary purpose of WorkSafeBC’s investigation has been to identify the cause of the incident, and any contributing factors, so that similar incidents can be prevented from happening in the future,” said the statement.

The statement also confirms that WorkSafeBC’s incident investigation report into the collapse is complete and can be made available to the Kelowna RCMP via a judicial authorization.

However, the statement said “a decision has been made, in consultation with the RCMP, to not release the WorkSafeBC investigation report publicly, at this time, to ensure it does not jeopardize the ongoing and concurrent criminal investigation.”

The Kelowna RCMP serious crimes unit continues to actively investigate the collapse, said the statement, but they “are unable to provide specific details with respect to the investigation at this time.”

The WorkSafeBC investigation is separate from but parallel to the Kelowna RCMP investigation. The criminal investigation “is independent and separate from the regulatory investigation conducted by WorkSafeBC, and focuses only on determining if any criminal elements are present,” the statement said.

“The criminal investigation into this incident is extensive and complex, and as such, it is anticipated that this investigation will remain ongoing for an extended period,” said the statement. Police are working through thousands of pieces of evidence and seized documentation, the statement said.

Const. Mike Della Paolera, media relations officer for the Kelowna RCMP, said the force isn’t ready to release more on their investigation.

WorkSafeBC worked with experts to examine the crane components, sequence of events, and work procedures that took place during the crane dismantling process. WorkSafeBC investigators examined relevant documentation and conducted witness interviews, said the statement. Since the crane fell, WorkSafeBC has “continued to incorporate key learnings about tower crane assembly, disassembly, or repositioning into its ongoing crane safety initiatives.”