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A tragic incident unfolded in Palatine, Illinois on Wednesday when a construction worker lost his life after falling from a roof in the northwest suburbs.
Authorities reported that the accident occurred around 3:48 p.m. on West Mahogany Court.
ABC7 interviewed the man’s colleagues, who remained at the scene late into the evening, visibly shaken by the unfortunate event.
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Emergency personnel arrived swiftly in response to the report of a worker falling from a roof. Upon arrival, they found a 40-year-old man unresponsive, according to Palatine police. Sadly, he was declared dead on the spot, and his identity has not yet been disclosed.
The worker’s peers were left in shock as the tragedy unfolded at the Groves of Palatine, an upscale condominium complex that is about 20 years old and was undergoing roof renovations.
“Saw the rope whip in the air, and I saw him halfway down and. for us too, for us to lower our ourselves down… we had to remove a latch and it was not that easy… it was just in a matter of seconds,” a coworker said. “There was a rope, but I don’t know if he didn’t latch it on right I don’t know. I mean, like I said, everything happened in seconds. I immediately went into shock, obviously it was just an unfortunate accident.”
ABC7 talked to other members of the crew, including the brother of the deceased, who said that the team was proud to work together on the complex. No, police tape surrounds what was a busy construction site.
No further information about the incident was immediately available as local officials and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, continue to investigate.
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