Carpenter Killed in Aerial Lift Tipover on St. Louis Bridge Project

Searchers have found the body of a carpenter who was tethered by safety harness to an aerial lift when it toppled off a barge into the Mississippi River at a bridge-construction project in St. Louis, Mo., Wednesday.

Searchers found the submerged body of missing worker Andy Gammon, 35, of Park Hills, Mo, between barge tie-ups about 5:30 Thursday evening. Gammon’s body was found underwater, still tethered to the sunken lift.

Gammon worked for the joint venture team of Massman, Traylor Bros., and Alberici, prime contractor for the bridge project.

He was on an aerial lift atop a barge about 150 feet upstream from a huge concrete pylon being built to support the bridge when the lift fell off the barge and into the river.

No public explanation has yet been given about what caused the lift to topple off the barge.

OSHA is investigating.

Catalyst

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