Crane Arm Collapse Leaves Miami Condo Rooftop Pool in Danger as Workers Hang On

In a dramatic turn of events on Friday, construction workers found themselves desperately hanging onto a faulty crane as its arm buckled and collapsed onto the pool deck of a nearby upscale high-rise in Miami. A bystander’s video captured the harrowing incident.

The footage, captured by local resident Macie Norrod, shows the crane’s arm flying through the air and crashing down, smashing through palm trees above the pool area at the One Plaza West Brickell condominium.

From the vantage point of her home office, Norrod witnessed the whole incident unfold. She expressed her feelings of “shock and disbelief” to Storyful, capturing the impact of the event.

Norrod recounted the terrifying moment, saying, “I thought I was about to watch the workers die from being squashed by the weights of the crane,” clearly conveying the potential danger the workers were in.

Her video showed workers in green vests clinging to the upper portion of the structure during the collapse before eventually climbing down ladders to the ground.

The crane, not yet operational, was being assembled that afternoon when it experienced “some kind of failure,” Miami Fire Rescue spokesperson Lt. Pete Sanchez told News Media.

After that failure, the arm fell onto the rooftop deck and was partially submerged in the pool, according to a photo shared with News Media by Miami Fire Rescue.

“Firefighters immediately accessed the pool deck and conducted a thorough search, confirming that no victims were present,” Sanchez said. “The pool deck was secured and cordoned off to prevent residents and the public from entering the area while crews ensured the scene remained safe.”

The construction crew also told authorities that all workers had been accounted for and none were injured.

Miami’s Building Department and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the incident, the Miami Herald reported.