Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1765929.015 - Salt River Construction

Inspection Information - Office: Southwest Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 6:00 p.m. on July 25, 2024, an employee working as a crane operator for a commercial construction contractor was working with Coworker #1 (the company owner) and Coworker #2 on a crane barge. The crew used a vessel to get from the shore to the barge. After working a typical workday, the crew decided to return to shore using the same vessel. The employee and Coworker #1 departed the worksite. When Coworker #1 returned from the store, he realized the vessel was not tied up where they had left it. The vessel was visible offshore and had been sunk with the bow forward. The employee was not at the worksite and could not be reached by phone. The owner called for help. After a large search of the area, the employee was found 5 days after the incident near the work site. There were no witnesses to the incident. The employee's cell phone was found on the crane barge in the crane, and it is thought that the employee took the vessel out to the barge after the workday ended to retrieve the phone. The employee had operated the vessel under supervision and independently when fueling it. The employee died due to drowning in the water.

Keywords: Barge, Boat, Construction, Crane Operator, Drown, Drowning, Fall, Lack of oxygen, Lung, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Overturn, Respiratory, Respiratory Tract, Water