West Bend construction accident; worker killed, pinned under lumber

WEST BEND, Wis. - A worker was pinned underneath lumber and killed after an accident at a town of West Bend construction site on Wednesday morning, April 29.

What they're saying:

The Washington County Sheriff's Office said the 911 call came in just before 9:30 a.m. The caller said a worker was pinned under a pile of lumber at a new home construction site on County Highway NN near Silver Lake.

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Deputies and rescue personnel went to the scene, where other workers had been able to remove the victim from beneath the lumber pile. The victim was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.

The sheriff's office said its initial investigation found a telescopic handler had removed a pallet of lumber from a trailer and, with the lumber off the trailer but still on the handler's forks, two people tried to secure the load with a ratchet strap. While attaching the strap, the lumber shifted and slid off the forks – pinning the worker underneath the lumber.

What's next:

The investigation, which includes assistance from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, is ongoing.