Who was Anthony Clawson? Teen plunges 50ft to his death while 'watching sunrise' at abandoned power plant
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: A teen reportedly lost his life while creating “one last big memory” with his friends before joining college. Anthony Clawson, along with his three friends, went to the Market Street Power Plant in New Orleans, Louisiana on Friday evening, July 29, to watch the sunset when a damaged platform broke, causing the 18-year-old to fall to his death.
Noah Cieutat, one of Clawson’s friends, who witnessed the unfortunate incident, stated, “I saw him get swallowed up from the ground in front of me. I couldn’t move for what felt like a minute.” He also added that the trip to the old plant was “one last big memory” before they all entered college life.
ALSO READ
Man plummets to death from clifftop as HORRIFIED wife videos his 'tombstone' leap
Who was Sofia Olifrenko? Model, 24, dies after MYSTERIOUS 60-foot fall from hotel balcony
It was reported that Clawson fell 50 feet inside the deserted power plant, located just upriver from the New Orleans Morial Convention Center. The plant, which was part of the New Orleans Public Service, Inc, was closed in 1973. Then in 2007, Market Street Properties LLC reportedly bought it for $10 million from Entergy New Orleans. However in 2015, real estate developer Joe Jaeger became its owner before “Lauricella Land Company, Brian Gibbs Development and Cypress Equities” said in February 2022 that “they have closed on a deal to invest in the historic New Orleans Market Street Power Plant building and surrounding acreage.”
Clawson was taken to University Medical Center but couldn’t be saved and died on Saturday, July 30. Officials said the young man’s cause of death was blunt force trauma. His devastated mother, Valerie Walker, told The Sun, “You don’t think ‘My child is going to plunge to his death in an industrial building,’ when he is poised in every way for a great life.”
Calling Clawson’s death a tragedy, a spokesperson for the 1902-built plant, Peter Aamodt, said, “The ground floor is sealed with metal panels designed to prevent illegal access to vacant buildings. There is security fencing along the perimeter, added lighting to the site, and posted ‘No Trespassing' signs.” He also said that a “local, independent security company" keep an eye on "the site regularly,” however, he was not sure if anyone was there to watch when the teen died. “We are currently investigating how the group that was there Friday night accessed the secured property. We will cooperate fully with all involved to determine what occurred. We offer our condolences to the families involved,” Aamodt added.
As per reports, the victim was an alumnus of Benjamin Franklin High School and was about to join Louisiana State University to get a degree in Chemistry. His mother told The Sun, “I always said I wanted a son who was well mannered and well rounded out in his education, and that’s exactly what I got. He would have become something. He had a lot to give this world, and that’s what he wanted to do.”
Remembering Clawson, Eve Payton, a spokeswoman of Ben Franklin High School, said, “We are shocked and saddened to share the news of the death of Anthony Clawson '22, who died in an accident over the weekend. A member of Mu Alpha Theta and the robotics team, Anthony was a magna cum laude graduate who was planning to attend LSU in the fall."
"We know that this news may be difficult to process, and we wanted to make sure you were aware of the various mental health resources we have available if you need to talk to someone... Please keep Anthony's family and friends in your thoughts. We will share details about services as they become available," she added.
TOP STORIES
The TRAGIC deaths of Sarah and Amina Said: Trial of killer dad Yasir Said begins in Texas
Furious woke mob jump the gun after Gary Lineker reworks an old quote to celebrate Lionesses victory
Besides, City Council Member Lesli Harris, under whose district the Market Street Power Plant comes, also issued a statement after the tragedy. The statement read, “My sincere condolences go out to the loved ones Tony has left behind. His tragic death underscores the need for securing and improving the blighted structures that plague our city.”