[ back ]
LINCOLN PARK - Workers injured by fall into sewage
(by Rebecca Scanlon - News Editor - October 07, 2008)
LINCOLN PARK - Two construction workers were injured when they fell inside a Two Bridges Sewer Authority (TBSA) pump house Monday afternoon.
Jose Gonzales, 51, of Randolph, and Ken Marvin, 39, of Rockaway, fell 18 feet into about six inches of sewage when the board that they were standing on gave way, Sgt. Michael Runfeldt said. The two workers, who are employees of Maple Construction in Dover, had been placing a grate over the hole.
Police responded around 2:38 p.m. to help extricate Gonzales and Marvin. Sgt. William Karback and Patrolmen Ron Wenzel and James Herbek descended into the opening and found that the construction workers were cut and bruised and had suffered back and neck injuries.
With the help of Don Gunther of the Lincoln Park Fire Department, the police officers were able to lift Gonzales and Marvin out of the hole. Lincoln Park First Aid Squad took the two to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson. A hospital spokesperson said Tuesday afternoon that Marvin was listed in fair condition and Gonzales' family asked that no information be released.
Paterson, Wayne and Towaco fire departments and Morris County HAZMAT Decontamination Unit helped with the three-hour rescue.
Maple Construction is one of the contractors hired for TBSA's $9 million major rehabilitation of its three pump stations. The pump station at which Gonzales and Marvin were working is TBSA's largest.
TBSA Executive Director Robert Bongiovanni said that up until Monday's incident, the facilities rehabilitation had been a "pretty smooth running project."
Bongiovanni said that he did not have any additional information on the accident and was attempting to contact Maple Construction to get more information. The only information he had as of Tuesday morning was based on preliminary reports.
"When you get the report initially, you don't get the whole story," the executive director said. "I don't know directly what happened."
No TBSA employees were present at the time of the accident.
In the meantime, TBSA immediately stopped work on the project and was conducting inspections.
"We have to make sure the contractor can get back in there," Bongiovanni said.
[ back ]
