Jose Pereira: Worker who died in balcony collapse after being pinned under 5-ton concrete slab for 7 hours screamed 'get it off of me'
SEA ISLE CITY, NEW JERSEY: Construction worker Jose Pereira, 43, died after enduring seven hours crushed beneath a five-ton concrete slab in Jersey Shore after an eighth-floor balcony collapsed. According to the Sea Isle Police Department, Jose Pereira of Philadelphia, who worked for Ferguson Construction Inc. in Pennsylvania, was declared dead by a Cape May forensic medic at around 10 pm on Friday.
Around 2.30 pm, Pereira was trapped when the Spinnaker Condominium Complex's eighth-story balcony, which was attached to Unit 712 and weighed about 11,000 pounds, fell onto the seventh level. The structure was constructed in the 1970s. During the rescue operation, residents of the building were evacuated.
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The tragic incident at the Spinnaker
According to CBS News, witnesses heard cries for aid as the balcony collapsed. Joye Fiocchi, a witness, described it as "total chaos." Fiocchi said, "Just people screaming. I called 911 right away. And it's just 20 minutes later, I heard him screaming again. I guess he was saying get it off of me, and I never heard anything since." Another worker, Eric Hupperich, was inside the building taking a break in a lower-level unit when the entire incident occurred. Hupperich stated, "We felt it through our bodies like shaking and it was a really, really loud boom."
"This has been a tragic day at the Spinnaker, my heart is shattered at the moment but I ask that you please keep the Spinnaker staff, contractors, their families and first responders in your thoughts tonight," the building management addressed the neighborhood Friday night.
Pereira was attempted to be rescued by police, but they were unable to since the building was deemed "unsafe" and the region around it included "significant cracks." The condominium was cleared of its occupants. Authorities stabilized the balcony on the seventh floor by bringing in more equipment before casting 12 inches of reinforced concrete. Pereira was rescued when crews used heavy-lifting airbags to lift the slab and pull it off the ground.
Police & fire on scene confirm a recovery rescue is underway. 3 privately contracted construction workers were involved in the balcony collapse.
— Nikki DeMentri (@nikkidementri) February 24, 2023
Officials tell us 2 on the 8th floor balcony sustained minor injuries. The man trapped was on 7th floor balcony. @CBSPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/n1FeDck0vt
What are the rescuers saying?
To reach Pereira, rescuers cut a hole through the roughly one-foot-thick concrete exterior wall. Crews were seen installing wood planks to stabilize the building later in the evening. Fire officials had earlier observed the balcony exhibiting symptoms of stress. Matt Johnson stated, "We're figuring the balconies weigh between 11,000-15,000 pounds a piece."
Residents are not permitted to return until the building has undergone examinations by private engineers. There are reinforcements on every balcony in the south tower. The police are still investigating the incident.