Authorities are investigating an industrial accident that claimed the life of a construction worker in Bal Harbour on Thursday.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office has taken over the case due to the fatality. Homicide unit detectives were dispatched to the scene.
Worker rescued from confined space
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to the site behind the Bal Harbour Shops at 98th Street and Collins Avenue after a trauma alert. Crews rescued the worker from a confined space and airlifted him to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he later died.
Emergency dispatch calls released
Emergency dispatch recordings revealed initial confusion about the nature of the incident. One dispatcher said, “Person not breathing at 98th and Collins Avenue.” Another reported, “They are advising the patient is someone who fell from the 2nd floor,” and described a “trauma arrest” on the second floor. Early reports suggested a pipe explosion, but a dispatcher clarified there was no explosion.
Witness describes pipe pressure test
A worker at the site said a pipe being tested for water pressure exploded. However, the sheriff’s office has not confirmed that account. A spokesperson said the cause remains under investigation and described the incident as “an industrial accident.”
OSHA expected to investigate
The worker has not been publicly identified.
A law enforcement source said investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are expected to be involved. A spokeswoman for OSHA said the agency is looking into the incident…