Three workers were injured, one of them severely, after a wall collapsed on the workers at the site of a house under construction at 51 Calle Del Sur in the Hammock Saturday afternoon (Aug. 3).
Michael Brey, a supervisor with B&Z Builders, told a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy at the scene that a work crew was attempting to put up a wood wall 30 feet long and 12 feet high. They were on an upper floor. He said he and eight workers were pushing the wall up when it fell, according to an incident report. Ronald Montagna, 48, of Palm Coast, and Nathaniel Schmidt, 34, of Palm Coast, were stuck under the wall when it fell.
Flagler County Fire Flight, the emergency helicopter, was requested, but was out of service for maintenance. Trauma One, an emergency helicopter from St. Johns County, flew down and transported Schmidt to Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach. Flagler County Fire Rescue 22 transported Montagna to Halifax hospital with serious injuries. A third worker, Paul Treue, 47, of Flagler Beach, sustained a cut in his left leg but drove himself to AdventHealth, according to the report.
Employees Zachary Pierce, 31, William Gordon, 23, Mario Lanza, 41, Christopher Emplit, 37, and Russell Lanza, 39, all of Palm Coast, were also part of the crew at the time of the incident, Brey reported. OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, was contacted and a report filed, and the scene was turned over to a sheriff’s detective.
The beachside quarter-acre property at 51 Calle del Sur, valued at $1.1 million, is owned by Palm Coast residents. It is situated along some of the most valuable properties in the county. A similar residence just to its north sold for $2.3 million in early 2017. Most are of recent vintage, and lots are still selling.
Flagler County’s building division issued a building permit last September for a multi-level 10,400 square-foot residence at #51, listing Stajo Construction of Palm Coast as the contractor and a job value of $2.9 million. The construction site had last been inspected on July 15 by inspector Charlie Grebe, according to county documents. (County documents list the address as 51 Calle del Sur. The sheriff’s incident report lists it as both 52 and 51 Calle del Sur, though 911 dispatchers referred to it as 51.)
OSHA reports 17 incidents resulting in severe injuries at various sites in Flagler County (mostly in Palm Coast) between 2015 and 2018, the latest year for which figures are available. The incidents–fractures, heat exhaustion, dislocation, a meat-cutter slicing off the tip of his left pinkie at the Palm Coast Parkway Winn-Dixie, another losing the tip of his left ring finger while cleaning a beef patty machine at the Belle Terre Publix, a postal worker fracturing his shoulder and sternum while servicing a vehicle–include workplace injuries, not just injuries at construction sites. Five of the injuries were sustained by roof workers.
The gravest most recent construction-site incident took place last October at 2 Sebastian Court in Seminole Woods, where two workers Richard Hockaday, 37, and Gerald Anderson, 39, of Palatka, were killed when a concrete-pouring boom struck overhead electric lines, shocking them both on the ground.
John dolan esq. says
Non union contractor too cheap to rent a crane. Rather pay the fine if any.
Concerned Citizen says
Most companies don’t provide safety training anymore. It’s time consuming and takes employees off the job. And since there is no real enforcement they continue to get away with it. Coupled with an increased demand of production accidents will continue to rise.
Profit is to important over employee well being.
deb says
About as cheap as the homes under construction by most builders. Too cheap to do the job right. Time to sue the builder, for negligence.
palmcoaster says
Looks like there was a crane needed to lift such a big wooden wall. Greed rules over workers safety in the one of the south belt “Right to work estate” = “Right to open workers abuse estate”. Sorry Sandi for your son Ronald injuries pretty scary hope him and all get well soon.
KC says
Only 1 Emergency Helicopter in Flagler County and it was out of service with no backup? That’s ridiculous! All the money Flagler County has! Shame on Flagler County!
Framer says
Never worked with this guy’s,but anybody that says you stand walls with a crane,has never build a house or paid for a crane…they used 100% correct method,it just so happens that building huge houses come with risks
palmcoaster says
KC is correct. I see the taxes we pay are frivolously wasted to benefit their buddy sellers in purchases of contaminated or useless real state or private utilities services at overpriced values. Then no funds left for the services that are paid in advance. Too much waste of public funds for graft.
Tom says
In this case it had nothing to do with anything anyone is assuming so being a person with first hand knowledge =
These are true hero’s and work to get a job done without bitching about anything – was the last wall on a Saturday and nine gladiators were going to raise a 7,000lb wall and did but for mother nature’s power on the Oceanside decided other wise- asking you for respect for the essential workers and shame on you other parasites
Mario lanza says
You don know the full story my dad Mario Lanza 41 was one in the accident it all’s I. Saying is this is not the full story