An Irish immigrant construction worker has died after a crane arm collapse at a work site in midtown Manhattan. He was named as Trevor Loftus, a Limerick native, married with two children, the owner of Kenry Contracting.
He had bought a pub in his native Limerick and had planned a move back there. His wife and two children reside in Ireland and he had just returned from a visit. One of his children is making their first communion in two weeks.
“We are all devastated,” a longtime friend of the victim told the New York Daily News.
There were chaotic scenes at the work site on 44th Street and 2nd Avenue after boom arm of the crane collapsed, reportedly due to a malfunction, and pinned Loftus.
Manhattan: E 44 St & 2nd Ave. U/D; Worker extricated from under crane, pronounced DOA @MyFoxNY http://t.co/b7H0tj0jSG pic.twitter.com/XaJ1A6Qgy9
— New York City Alerts (@NYCityAlerts) April 24, 2015
“Everybody went crazy,” said Miguel Sarmiento, 33, an employee at a nearby parking garage. “The working guys — they were trying to help him.”
Firefighters desperately tried to save his life but were unsuccessful, said FDNY Deputy Chief Joseph Carlsen. New York City quickly ordered a stoppage to all work on the site.
Police are putting up a white sheet @PIX11News pic.twitter.com/sxX2qfrpYf
— Allie Yang (@allieallieooop) April 24, 2015
The 40-year-old man from Limerick, the owner of Kerry Contracting, had arrived at the work site shortly before the tragic accident. He was working as a construction safety coordinator for the site and was unloading materials from his truck when the accident occurred.
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