Four workers hospitalized after crane topples
Four construction workers were hospitalized after a large crane “toppled over” at the Sundy Village construction site in Delray Beach Thursday, officials say.
The approximately 150-foot crane fell to the ground a little before noon at the site at the busy intersection of Swinton Avenue and Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach Fire Rescue said in a tweet. Fire Rescue responded and transported four workers to Delray Beach Medical Center, two as trauma alerts and two as basic life support, the most minor designation.
All four workers were adult men, said Dani Moschella, a spokesperson for Delray Beach Fire Rescue.
The workers were subcontractors for two different crane companies, Morrow Equipment and Diamondback Hoist and Rigging, Moschella said.
It remained unclear Thursday what caused the crane to fall.
An employee with Morrow Equipment said the company didn’t know anything, declining to comment further.
Both Diamondback Hoist and Rigging and Bluewater Builders could not be reached Thursday.
The project’s general contractor is Coral Springs-based Bluewater Builders. The contractor has worked on projects throughout South Florida, including the Florida Panthers Training Facility and Rink and the Coconut Creek Community Center. Bluewater Builders also could not be reached Thursday.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate the incident.
Moschella said it will be up to OSHA to say whether the workers were up in the crane basket when it fell, but she did say that none of them were crushed.
Fire Rescue “didn’t require any technical operations to save anybody,” she said.
The construction site for Sundy Village takes up the whole block, Moschella said. The project is proposed as a mixed-use development with office space, shops, and restaurants that covers 7 acres, overseen by real estate and private equity firm Pebb Capital.
“This is an unfortunate occurrence, and our thoughts are with the construction team,” Pebb Capital said in a statement. “At this time, we have been informed that those in charge of safety are working with the contractor and subcontractors regarding this incident.”