A tragic incident unfolded in Everett, Massachusetts, on Friday when a crane collapsed at an industrial job site, killing two subcontractors. As reported by WCVB, the accident occurred around 3 p.m. on property along the Mystic River, a site earmarked for a large-scale transformation into a mixed-use community. Everett Fire Chief John Hickey confirmed the deaths, stating that one victim was pronounced dead at the scene and the second succumbed to injuries after being transported to the hospital.
In the aftermath of the collapse, the Fire Chief described the daunting scene with Sky5 video capturing the fallen red crane sprawled across the dock, the crane, measuring about 4-5 stories tall, lay immobilized, a stark reminder of the incident's severity and the scale those fallen workers are attached to. According to the same source, authorities did not report anyone else missing or injured from the work site, where the men were carrying out demolition activities on retired equipment at the marine dock terminal. Bob Delhome, founder and president of Charter Contracting, which is running the project, expressed in a statement his heartbreak over the news and reiterated his commitment to cooperating with investigators to determine the cause of this fatal event.
Meanwhile, NBC Boston reports further comments from local officials, noting Mayor Carlo DeMaria's announcement that the recovered body and the hospital fatality were workers for a private company, with their identities withheld pending notification of next of kin. Everett Fire Chief Joseph Hickey recognized the complexity of the recovery operation, due to the industrial nature of the scene "This is a very commercialized space," he noted, pointing to the logistical challenges faced by emergency services. The physical disentanglement of such wreckage requires a delicate maneuver, anticipating another crane company to hoist the collapsed machinery in a choreography of salvage and safety demands.
Everett Police Chief Paul Strong commented on the logistical necessity of hiring a second crane to assist with removal of the fallen equipment for investigation, against the backdrop of "Iron End," the former Exxon offloading site. On social media, the Police Department acknowledged that OSHA has been notified.
