Kelowna Crane Collapse

Hank R · Jul 12, 2021

VIDEO: Crane worker shuffles to safety after collapse in Kelowna
Crane worker jumps to safety
Colin Dacre - Jul 12, 2021 / 12:39 pm | Story: 339745

Reader-submitted video shows a crane worker shimmying to safety shortly after its collapse downtown Kelowna on Monday.

The worker manages to jump to safety on an upper floor of the building.

Emergency crews are continuing their rescue efforts.

“I heard a lot of noise and it sounded like they were throwing, or things were coming off, and then the top expansion part came down. It all buckled and just came down,” saud Megan Ziegler, adding she saw a man fall.

“It was pretty hard to watch.”

There have been multiple injuries in the incident. At this time, any fatalities have been unconfirmed by authorities.

Hank R · Jul 12, 2021

Time photos of crane going down

crane operator · Jul 12, 2021

I can't tell from the pictures if they were climbing that tower crane when it went. In the first time lapse picture it looks like the trolley is in close to the tower, and it looks like there is a climbing frame on the tower. Most accidents with a tower that I've read about, happen when ascending or descending. The report of someone falling off the tower doesn't sound good either.

That's going to take a big crane to get what's left back off the building.

This one was just two days ago in Grand Rapids Michigan. From the pictures they were installing the tracks, and it looks like pretty sandy soil. But someone didn't get to go home.

Raildudes dad · Jul 12, 2021

Any sand on that site is imported. Lots of silty clay. Ours news media here rarely does any followup on accidents. We have 3 large crane companies here, Imron green, Liebherr yellow and white. I can only guess who's it is at this point. Actually I hit full screen and can see the name/logo on the skytrak. A tragedy for sure.

Hank R · Jul 12, 2021

The Kelowna crane was readied for descending, news has it several people not coming home.

Truck Shop · Jul 12, 2021

56wrench · Jul 13, 2021

I've always thought those looked dangerous to raise or lower, especially if a wind came up

Welder Dave · Jul 13, 2021

My thread was regarding the Kelowna crane collapse too. I think they said on the news 6 workers were working on taking it down. The guy that crawled to safety was apparently hanging off the crane but managed to hang on so he could crawl down to the support and get to the building. I think I'd be too terrified to shimmy across the support like he did.

crane operator · Jul 19, 2021

This guy's language is a little coarse, but it includes video I hadn't seen before. It shows them taking out the first section of the tower, was evidently posted to instagram, it had to be just before the accident. Two of the employees were the sons of the owner of the tower crane company. There was also a interview with a parent of a different employee, says it was his son's first day back at work.

old-iron-habit · Jul 19, 2021

Have to wait and see but most tower cranes that fall when jacking up or down is because they start to jack without bolting up either the jacking frame or the tower back to the section. They don't balance perfect and when the last bolt snaps you are done. Its a slow motion oh ****, as it gathers speed. Unfortunately, one only makes the mistake once.

Welder Dave · Jul 20, 2021

crane operator said:
This guy's language is a little coarse, but it includes video I hadn't seen before. It shows them taking out the first section of the tower, was evidently posted to instagram, it had to be just before the accident. Two of the employees were the sons of the owner of the tower crane company. There was also a interview with a parent of a different employee, says it was his son's first day back at work.

What's odd is the narrator of that. He does make some very good comments concerning PPE. Why you wouldn't have your fall protection harness hooked up is beyond reason. I think if OHSA saw that, they would have shut the entire job down. Canada isn't a third world country that doesn't have safety protocols to follow. Very sad for all the people who died.

skyking1 · Jul 20, 2021

That one, like the one in Seattle was just an absolute failure to follow procedure. I appreciated the narrator's course language but that's how I roll. When four guys die for no expletive good reason, then some expletives are going to get dropped.

Welder Dave · Jul 20, 2021

Oh, I agree that expletives are sometimes the best words to use. That guy is just odd in the way he talks in general. I was diagnosed with cancer out of the blue. Expletives should almost be part of the name whenever you mention cancer. When I told my Dr. of 30+ years I had cancer, I think she was just being polite on the phone when she said Oh Shiite. I think what she probably wanted to say was the same thing my partner thought when she first heard I had cancer. Holy F34K! I was more like WTF. In a way I was relieved because I finally knew what was causing all my *&^%$#! back pain! Now I have to take all these *&^%$!ing pills and go for &^^%$#! chemo. *&^%$#@! cancer.

spitzair · Jul 25, 2021

This one hit close to home for me. I knew the owner of the company whose crane it was since he moved to Canada in the 90s, my dad and him were pretty good friends until something went sour between them... Last time I saw him I was hauling material to one of his construction sites in 2003 and he and I shot the breeze for some time. His older son was a bit younger than my sister... makes you realize just how short and precious life is and how quickly it can all be changed for ever. Rest in Peace boys.

skyking1 · Jul 26, 2021

Those two iron workers in Seattle I probably had a hamburger with them the weekend before. I did not know them but their boss invited me over while they were setting up the last tower at the my job.
Sucks that you knew them @spitzair .

Kelowna Crane Collapse

Hank R

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Hank R

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crane operator

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Raildudes dad

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Hank R

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Truck Shop

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56wrench

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Welder Dave

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crane operator

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old-iron-habit

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