Construction Worker Dies After Getting 'Trapped' When Foundation Collapses on Him
"The foundation attached to the house broke away and fell, pinning" Gerceir Osvaldo DeFaria underneath it, the Plymouth District Attorney's Office said
Gerceir Faria/Facebook
Gerceir Osvaldo FariaA construction worker died on Wednesday in Massachusetts after a partial foundation collapse, officials said
He was pronounced dead at the scene and identified as 51-year-old Gerceir Osvaldo DeFaria
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Massachusetts State Police and local police are investigating the fatal incident
A 51-year-old construction worker died on Wednesday after the foundation of a Massachusetts home collapsed on him, officials said.
The Plymouth District Attorney's Office said in a release shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Hanson Police received a 911 call around 11:30 a.m. for a report of a man trapped at a construction site at 50 Dwight Street.
"Hanson Police and Hanson Fire responded and found a single-family home with a partial foundation collapse on one side, and a male worker trapped," the release said.
The DA's office said the man was pronounced dead at the scene. He has been identified as Gerceir Osvaldo DeFaria.
Hanson Police, the local fire department and the Plymouth County Technical Rescue Team worked for over three hours before the victim's body was removed around 2:50 p.m.
"Preliminarily, it appears that the property homeowner was having the basement waterproofed today, and a trench was being dug on the side of the home when the foundation attached to the house broke away and fell, pinning DeFaria underneath," officials added.
It's unclear how much weight was on top of the 51-year-old before he died.
Related: Fla. Mom Whose Husband Died in Construction Accident Welcomes Their First Son Exactly 1 Week Later
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Massachusetts State Police and Hanson Police investigating the incident.
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An OSHA spokesperson told PEOPLE that an inspection was opened on Wednesday and will "determine if there were any violations of workplace safety standards." The agency has up to six months to complete its inspection.
The Massachusetts State Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Hanson Police referred requests for comment to the DA's office.
Related: 3 Workers Dead from 70-Ft. Fall as Scaffolding Collapses at Construction Site in Charlotte, N.C.
Gerceir Osvaldo only moved to Massachusetts from Brazil months ago and now leaves behind a wife and two children, ABC affiliate WCVB and Fox affiliate WFXT reported.
"The heart is broken," his brother, Elias, told NBC affiliate WBTS. "Every day, he called to his family, every day."
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