A fall is the most deadly accident that can happen to a construction worker. And one that takes place from a bridge 25 feet in the air should be no exception.
But in the case of Thiago Santos, it was.
Santos, a 29-year-old construction worker from Newark, New Jersey, fell 25 feet from the Pulaski Skyway bridge in Jersey City. He and the rest of his crew were doing prep work for a $1 billion rehab of the bridge that will begin in the coming months, according to a report from the New Jersey Star-Ledger.
In a cruel twist of irony, the crew was actually installing temporary shielding meant to prevent debris and tools from falling to the ground.
A foreman saw the fall and said Santos literally landed on his feet before falling to his knees. Somehow, Santos never lost consciousness after the fall despite being in a great deal of pain.
He was rushed to the hospital where doctors found that he amazingly had sustained no life-threatening injuries and hadn’t even broken a bone.
Santos works for Petric & Associates, according to the report, a subcontractor for CCA Civil, the lead contractor for the bridge rehabilitation. The police contacted the Occupational Health and Safety Administration which will open an investigation around the fall.
