A construction worker, whose identity has not been released, died after falling 100 feet from the Manhattan Bridge while painting the side of the structure.
The incident occurred around 2 p.m. Wednesday, a spokesman for the New York Police Department said.
The 37-year-old victim worked in the vicinity of Pike Slip and South Street, near FDR Drive.
Authorities confirmed that the worker was pronounced dead at the scene.
The man had been working with Champion Specialty Services, a subcontracting company, as part of a 10-person painting crew on the Manhattan side of the bridge.
In addition to the worker who died, a 55-year-old man also plunged into the void. The second victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital with minor injuries.
The two men were wearing safety harnesses, police said; however, they fell due to gusts of wind. The researchers believe that the men likely lost their balance.
A spokesman for the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) confirmed in a statement that the man who died had indeed worked as a subcontractor for the department.
“This is a terrible tragedy and the family and friends of the victim are in our thoughts,” said DOT spokesman Seth Stein. “It is too early to determine what caused this incident with our contractor.”
Completed in 1909, the Manhattan Bridge connects Lower Manhattan to Brooklyn and is approximately 1,480 feet long. In total, the structure contains seven separate lanes for passenger traffic, plus rail lines, a pedestrian path, and a bicycle lane.
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