SLCSO: Man who drowned at rock quarry in St. Lucie County recovered a day later
ST. LUCIE COUNTY − A man who drowned during an industrial accident Wednesday at a quarry operated by Vulcan Materials Company in western St. Lucie County was recovered Thursday evening, according to sheriff’s officials.
At about 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, St. Lucie County sheriff deputies were called to the Vulcan Materials Company at 14171 Range Line Road in response to an industrial accident. Upon arrival, divers dispatched to the site discovered a large excavator construction machine submerged in a pond, Sheriff Ken Mascara said Friday.
“The dive team assessed the situation and made the conclusion it was too dangerous for anyone to enter the water,” Mascara said. “When we shared that with the mining company, they said, ‘really, we don't need you. We have a contract with a dive team, and they will come here.’ They came the next day and recovered the body.”
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On Thursday evening at about 6:25 p.m., the hired dive company recovered the body of the unidentified man, who was operating the excavator at the time of the accident.
A medical examiner determined that the man died by drowning, Mascara confirmed Friday.
On March 15, 2023, a miner died after the bank of a pond broke away, causing the excavator that he was operating to enter the water & become submerged. We have begun an investigation. For more info please visit: https://t.co/lV6ov9qmhF
— MSHA_DOL (@MSHA_DOL) March 17, 2023
“We have notified the victim's family of this tragic event and extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends for their loss,” Mascara said.
Officials with Vulcan Materials Company, which is based in Birmingham, Alabama, issued a statement Thursday confirming “there was an incident that occurred yesterday at our Fort Pierce facility.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends, family, and loved ones of our employees at this time. We are grateful for the efforts of first responders,” officials stated. “Our team is on site and will continue to work directly with the parties involved throughout their ongoing recovery efforts and investigation."
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Vulcan Materials Company, which operates 25 rock quarries in Florida, is a major supplier and distributor of construction materials, including gravel, sand and crushed stone. The materials are used in building bridges, parking lots, roads, airport runways, houses, apartments, schools, and more, according to its website.
Mascara said on Wednesday, officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were immediately alerted, who then notified the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration to determine the cause of the accident.
Federal investigators with the Mine Safety and Health Administration posted to Twitter that the man, who worked as a miner, "died after the bank of a pond broke away, causing the excavator that he was operating to enter the water and become submerged."
In a statement released Friday, a U.S. Department of Labor spokesperson confirmed the Mine Safety and Health Administration is conducting an investigation.
“MSHA investigates each mining fatality and prepares a fatality alert, a preliminary investigation, and a final report,” the spokesperson said via email.
Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers and is writer and co-host of Uncertain Terms, a true crime podcast. Reach her at melissa.holsman@tcpalm.com. If you are a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest local news on the Treasure Coast.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Divers recovered man who drowned in industrial accident at SLC quarry
