Officials identified a Philadelphia worker who died in a construction accident in late February, according to Marcella Baietto of CBS Philadelphia. The scene of the accident is still undergoing safety inspections.
Although there is winter weather, clean-up efforts are in progress after a balcony collapsed at a condominium complex in Sea Isle City, N.J.
“We heard sirens off and on,” said Steven Patton, a resident of Sea Isle City. “I knew it was something big. I could tell they were coming from out of the city. A lot of police activity going on.”
Jose Pereira, 43, died after being stuck beneath a 30-foot-long concrete balcony, police said.
In the south tower of the Spinnaker Condominium Complex, an eighth-floor balcony dropped onto a seventh-floor balcony.
Pereira worked for Ferguson Contracting, based in Yardley, Pennsylvania.
“It’s a tragedy,” Patton said. “It’s a shame. I just hope we learn from this.”
After the accident, several departments arrived.
When first responders tried to rescue Pereira, they could not reach him right away because the building was not safe.
To get to where Pereira was, first responders needed to cut through 12 inches of concrete and needed help to do so.
Officials were able to get to Pereira eventually, but he died on the scene.
“The construction business can be dangerous,” said David Allison, a resident of Sea Isle City. “And things like that happen.”
Police said they are working on stabilizing all of the decks in the building where the collapse happened.
Crews were still putting up reinforcements the night of the collapse.
“It’s shocking for a place like this,” said Joe Raysinger, a resident of Sea Isle City. “So, we’ll see how they’re going to handle it.”
“I’m hoping they’re checking their balconies,” Patton said. “We have a lot of summer population here. A lot of them go on the balconies, so I hope they check them for support.”
Two other workers suffered minor injuries from the accident.
The building owner said in a notice to residents that he vacated the south tower until it is determined to be safe by city officials.
Engineers will also evaluate the complex’s south and north towers for safety.