Emergency crews including police marine units, fire, Coast Guard, and helicopters had to be called on after a construction worker fell into the water from the Throgs Neck Bridge. According to NBC New York, the worker was apparently changing his harness when the platform he was on gave way, causing him to fall around 140 feet into the water. Hours after the fall, the worker still had not been found. A sweater and a hard hat were found floating in the water.
The Throgs Neck Bridge is 51 years old, connects Queens and the Bronx, and spans a body of water where the East River meets the Long Island Sound. The construction worker was reportedly employed by a contractor working on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bridge. The unidentified worker was part of a crew of fifteen members.
Due to the use of hazardous materials, heavy machinery, and the nature of the industry, construction sites are inherently dangerous for both workers and bystanders. Some construction accidents are the fault of the construction company or crew, with potentially catastrophic consequences coming from safety regulation violations, negligence, defective materials, a lack of safety equipment, badly maintained equipment, lack of quality supervision, improper signage, and a lack of safety training. If you are injured in a construction accident, contact a dedicated New York construction accident attorney today to see if you might be entitled to receive compensation for lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering.