Worker dies in fall at Gillian’s Wonderland Pier amusement park in Ocean City
OCEAN CITY - A worker fell to his death Monday while working on a Ferris wheel at an amusement park here.
Robert W. Sanger, 62, of Pittsgrove was fatally injured shortly after 10:30 a.m. at Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, authorities said.
Sanger, a welder for Cargo Tech International of Logan, fell from a lift, said Doug Bergen, an Ocean City spokesman.
Sanger was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
The amusement park, an oceanfront landmark, has operated on the Boardwalk at 6th Street since 1965.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family," the amusement park's president, Jay Gillian, said in a statement.
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"We are cooperating with all appropriate authorities to thoroughly investigate the cause of this tragic accident," he added.
Gillian, who is seeking re-election as Ocean City's mayor, suspended campaign activity after the accident, according to his campaign's Facebook page.
The incident is being investigated by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Bergen said.
The fall came three days after OSHA's Marlton office marked Workers Memorial Day, an annual observance of employees who died in workplace accidents.
The agency said nine workers died last year in construction/industrial accidents in its seven-county area, which includes Burlington, Camden and Cape May counties.
Falls were among the leading causes of deaths and the top hazard cited by OSHA, the agency said.
Jim Walsh covers public safety, economic development and other beats for the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.
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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Gillian's Wonderland Pie: Worker falls to death in Ocean City NJ
