Last October at a house construction site at 2 Sebastian Court in Palm Coast, Richard Hockaday, 37, and Gerald Anderson, 39, were killed when the extended boom on the concrete-pouring machine they were operating struck power lines and electrocuted them both.
On Thursday (Aug. 8), Israel Hernandez, a 40-year-old construction worker from DeLand, was electrocuted by a “falling electrical wire” at a construction site at 31 Richmond Drive in circumstances almost identical to last October’s: “A boom truck that was pumping concrete at this address got to close to overhead wires,” a sheriff’s report states. “The wires arced causing the electrical wires to break and fall onto Israel who was standing underneath, causing Israel to become electrocuted and fall to the ground.”
Hernandez fell on the wet concrete, and was later moved to dry ground. He survived. He was breathing but shaking and bleeding from the nose and mouth after the shock, and was “delirious,” according to 911 notes and a sheriff’s deputy who tended to him after arriving first on scene. Rescue 92 from the county airport soon followed.
The incident took place at 10:48 a.m. Six minutes later Hernandez was alert and conscious. Flagler County Fire Rescue transported him to the county airport, and from there he was taken to Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach. Sheriff’s detectives and the crime scene investigation unit reported to the construction zone. He sustained an electrical burn to his chest and foot area, according to the sheriff’s office.
In the October incident, the truck belonged to a Palm Coast company called Nomad LLC. The sheriff’s office did not have the identity of the truck involved in the Richmond Drive incident.
Deputies at the scene spoke to a man identified as Alessandro Hwan, 41, listed as a manager for A Foundation Solutions and as Hernandez’s boss. A Foundation Solutions was incorporated by Hwan in April 2018, based out of East South Street in DeLand. But both phone numbers listed for Hwan and Hernandez on the sheriff’s report ring to a “Timmy” or “Jimmy” (according to the voice on the answering message), who identifies himself as “Certified Concrete Pumping.” There are two listings under that name in the Florida Division of Corporations’ records, but both are listed as inactive. A message was not returned before this story initially published.
The quarter acre at 31 Richmond Drive is owned by Holiday Builders of Melbourne, which bought the property in March for $25,000, according to the Flagler County property appraiser. Palm Coast’s building department issued a building permit on April 24 for the $236,000 job, to Richard Andrew Fadil of Holiday Builders, the company also listed as the chief contractor. Neither A Foundation Solutions nor Certified Concrete Pumping is listed as a subcontractor.
It was the second construction-related incident in five days in the county that necessitated the evacuation of a worker by air. A wall collapse on Aug. 5 injured three workers at the construction site for a luxury home in the Hammock. One of the workers was flown to Halifax.
figures says
Holiday is a piss poor builder. Their supervisors are never on site for these guys and the sites run amok. These sub contractors are at the mercy of the guys they work with that things go right. No safety precautions taken ever.
John dolan esq. says
Operating within 10′ of high power lines is risky and electricity can leak without actually coming into contact with the line. You must be highly trained and experienced to do this kind of work. Pray for the workers and their families.
CB from PC says
Shut down the job pending investigation
as to whether unlicensed sub was used.
If so, file criminal charges against owners of both concrete company and Holiday Builders.
At the least, check all Holiday Builders permits for licensed sub contractor listings.
As stated in the article, the concrete company is listed as “inactive”, and is not listed by Holiday Builders as a sub on yhe permit.
Hey City of Palm Coast, I need a permit filed by a licensed contractor to replace a broken patio slider door.
I’d also say check the immigration status of the company workers, but that would be “racist”.
WTF?
Eugene Hartke says
Electrocution is death caused by electric shock. That did not happen this time.
A.J. says
Thank God he survived. Why not transport him to Advent Health, instead of Halifax Hospital. Advent Hospital is closer I would think.
Concerned Citizen says
Lack of proper training and lack of situational awareness will get you everytime. He’s lucky he survived.
Brian says
The contractor isnt at fault its the pump operator. The operator should always know the surrounding hazzard before setting up.