A construction worker died after he fell 60 feet into a massive ditch at a work site at Hudson Yards on Thursday morning, the FDNY said.
The employee was working on a freshly poured foundation wall – part of the massive Hudson Yards Concrete Casing project – at 12th Avenue and West 30th Street when he tragically plummeted into the excavated ditch around 8:50 a.m., officials said.
Firefighters rushed to the scene within three minutes, according to Battalion Chief Anthony Romano.
“We encountered a construction worker at the bottom of the pit, 60 feet down,” Russo said.
First responders quickly realized the worker had no pulse and wasn’t breathing, according to the chief.
“They set up a highpoint anchor and lowered a stokes basket,” Russo said. “And about 5 to 10 minutes after that, they raised the victim up and immediately transferred him off to FDNY EMS, who provided further care.”
He was rushed to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries despite life-saving efforts.
The New York Concrete Corporation worker was not immediately identified, and the cause of his fall remains under investigation.
“It was a foundation wall that was poured yesterday,” FDNY EMS Division Chief Nicholas Aiello told reporters. “We do not know how or why he fell.”
Work on the third section of the project – intended to link the Hudson River Tunnel into New York Penn Station – was suspended while the incident remains under investigation.
The project was scheduled for completion next year.
“The Gateway Development Commission, Amtrak, and Related Companies extend our profound condolences to the family of the worker who suffered a fatal injury on the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing project today,” the developers said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”
