Worker Missing After Scaffold Collapse

Nov. 15, 2000
The search for a painter who plunged into the icy Detroit River when a scaffold on a bridge between the United States and Canada collapsed in gusty wind has been unsuccessful.

The search for a painter who plunged into the icy Detroit River when a scaffold on a bridge between the United States and Canada collapsed in gusty wind has been unsuccessful.

Three of the 10 workers on the scaffold on Tuesday fell into the water, but two were rescued by the Coast Guard.

Authorities in Windsor, Ontario, across the river from Detroit, planned to meet later today to discuss how to continue the search for Jamie Barker, said Windsor police Staff Sgt. Ed McNorton. Barker, 27, was from Windsor.

The men, who work for the Ambassador Bridge Corp., had been painting the privately owned bridge when their scaffold collapsed.

Temperatures were in the upper 30s, and wind was gusting to 22 mph.

"That high wind must have been some factor," Windsor Fire Chief Dave Fields said.

Seven workers were left dangling from safety harnesses about 100 feet above the water, police said.

Three climbed back to the bridge, and the others were hoisted to safety by fire crews after about an hour.

The two men rescued from the fast current by the Coast Guard were hospitalized in good condition. The National Weather Service said the water was 53 degrees.

by Virginia Sutcliffe

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EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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