[UPDATE BELOW] The NYPD and Coast Guard are searching the water under the Throgs Neck Bridge, which connects the Bronx and Queens, after a worker fell into the water this morning. The unidentified worker fell somewhere near the middle of the bridge around 8 a.m. Sources tell NBC New York he was changing his harness and the platform he was on gave way.
The deck of the bridge is 142 feet above the meeting point of the East River and Long Island Sound, while the towers (where falcons live) are 360 feet over the water. It's so far unclear what height the worker fell from. Earlier this morning the Office of Emergency management advised drivers to avoid the bridge, as lane closures are in place and traffic delays are mounting. Police and Coast Guard boats and divers are still searching the waters, and we'll update as more information becomes available.
Update 12:58 p.m.: The MTA says it was a subcontractor who was working mid-span at the Throgs Neck Bridge on a platform below the roadway. According to a statement, the unidentified worker, who is employed by subcontractor Nuco Painting Corp., of Islandia, slipped and fell to the water below. The circumstances around this incident are under investigation by MTA Bridges and Tunnels’ Health and Safety division, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), NYPD and the Office of Emergency Management.
According to the MTA, "NYPD Emergency units, including Harbor and Aviation, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard, searched the area for several hours and the incident is now considered a recovery mission... MTA Bridges and Tunnels extends its condolences to the worker’s family, friends and co-workers." The work being done on the bridge was part of a $25 million, 2-year structural steel rehabilitation project.
