Abstract: The company was building a new pier extension for commercial vessels at a marine terminal. A crew of approximately five employees were working from a barge over navigable water attempting to set a "mooring spud" (60-ft long by 3-ft diameter, vertical steel cylindrical column) that holds the barge in place while afloat. The employees were lowering the mooring spud through the spud collar on the deck of the barge, into to the water below with the use of a crawler crane. Employee #1 was manually removing an approximately 4-ft long by 3-in. diameter steel "spud pin" that weighed approximately 85 pounds. Spud pins hold the mooring spuds stationary at desired heights. The crane operator was given the signal to lower the load. Apparently at least the tip of the spud pin was not completely clear of the mooring spud and spud collar when the load was lowered, which resulted in the mooring spud contacting the obstruction (the spud pin in this case) that Employee #1 was holding. Subsequently, the spud pin catapulted in an upwards motion and struck Employee #1 under the jaw. Employee #1 was killed.