Young Construction Worker Sustains Deadly Injuries
In LA Crosse, Wisconsin investigators continue to work at the scene where 19 year old Logan Scott Goodell, a construction worker, fell 45 feet into a cofferdam on the interstate 90 bridge that spans the Mississippi River.
Logan was identified by authorities as the Ames Construction worker who suffered “life threatening” injuries on Wednesday. Ames is the contractor at the site of the accident. Logan was transported to a local hospital by ambulance along with his father who was also working on the site.
The hospital spokesperson said that the family did not wish to have his condition information to be released yet, but the spokesperson said that could change within the next 24 hours.
According to reports rescue workers used a boat to get to the victim on Wednesday morning, from the Minnesota side of the river. According to the MnDOT the crew used a rescue basket and crane to reach the man in the cofferdam. According to Minnesota Department of Transportation a cofferdam creates a temporary watertight enclosure that is pumped dry to expose the bottom of the river to allow for construction.
At the time of the accident, Logan was part of a five man crew and they were installing concrete forms. Melby said that Logan attempted to step backward before falling. It is unsure of what safety precautions were being used by the workers at the time of the accident. An investigator with Occupational Safety and Health Administration was sent to the accident site.
Melby’s statement:
In the weeks and months leading up to this construction, we have had extensive pre-incident planning conversations with Ames Construction, including several meetings with Ames’ Safety Teams and local emergency services, The on-scene cooperation and planned response between emergency services and Ames Construction at the scene worked very well as a result of this planning.
The Dresbach Bridge is a huge 2,497 foot steel girder bridge. It’s on the I-90 at the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. It carries four lanes of traffic and is undergoing $175 million to $225 million worth or replacements, Ames Construction will be doing the project.
Daniel A. Gibalevich
DAG Law Firm
