(AKA: Andrew Welch)
UPDATE: January 18, 2019 – According to two individuals that are familiar with Andrew Psomas’ fall from a tower on Jan. 10 that took his life, the three-man tower crew he was assigned to was performing tiger team warranty work for AT&T on the 190-foot self-supporting tower.
Psomas was reportedly at the 150-foot level when he fell. It is not known whether he was tied off or if there was a harness or safety climb failure. Psomas’ harness and the structure is being investigated by OSHA.
Upon arrival at the site the crew reportedly did not contact Crown Castle’s NOC. Crown Castle did not return a request for information from Wireless Estimator regarding the fatality.
No information is being provided by Psomas’ employer or others as to whether the crew, which had one green hand, took measures to identify hazards associated with a night climb. Sunset in Pennington County was at about 4:40 p.m. The accident occurred about four hours later.
Psomas’ mother and step-father are expected to fly home from South Dakota tomorrow after making service arrangements for their son.
==============
January 15, 2019 – South Dakota authorities have informed Wireless Estimator that a 23-year-old tower technician fell to his death from a cell tower on Thurs., Jan. 10, 2019 and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Pennington County Sheriff’s spokesperson said that the deceased worker was Andrew Michael Psomas. They did not have readily available his home address.
Psomas, who made his first climb on Jan. 19, 2018, according to his Facebook page, was employed by True North Tower of Sauk Rapids, MN when the accident happened.
According to authorities, a call for emergency assistance came in at 8:44 p.m. It is unknown at what height Psomas was at on the 190-foot Crown Castle self-supporting tower when he fell. Temperatures at 9:00 p.m. hovered around 39 degrees F.
The structure is located on 154th Ave. near Caputa, a small rural community of 173 residents.
“ We are deeply saddened by this tragic event and our thoughts are with Andrew’s family, friends and co-workers as we work through this difficult time,” a spokesperson from True North Tower said.
“At this very early stage of the investigation, we have no further details other than what has been reported by local authorities. We are in the process of working with local agencies, including OSHA, to conduct a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding this event. This is a very difficult time for all involved and we ask that you respect the privacy of those involved to preserve dignity,” he said.
According to friends of Psomas, he was not married.
Psomas was the first tower technician to die in 2019 in a work-related accident.
Wireless Estimator will provide additional details as they become known.###
====================
A Colorado technician died last week after falling from a cell tower in Pennington County, officials confirmed.
Andrew Psomas, 23, of Broomfield, Colo., died Jan. 10 while working on a cell tower on 154th Avenue near Caputa, said Helene Duhamel, spokeswoman for the Pennington County Sheriff's Office. The call was reported at 8:44 p.m.
Psomas was the first tower technician to die this year while working, according to Wireless Estimator, an industry outlet.
While the sheriff's office responded to the call and conducted a coroner's exam, the office is not investigating the incident, Duhamel said.
True North Tower, the Sauk Rapids, Minn., company that Psomas was working for, also confirmed the incident and said they are in the process of working with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a federal agency, to conduct an investigation.
"We are deeply saddened by this tragic event and our thoughts are with Andrew’s family, friends and co-workers as we work through this difficult time," an emailed statement from Jordan Wang, the vice president of True North Tower said.
According to the company's website, it has an intensive safety training program and substance abuse policy, conducts unscheduled site visits, and investigates all safety incidents.
OSHA has six months to conduct the investigation into the death, spokesman Scott Allen said. If the agency finds health and safety violations, he said, it can issue citations and propose fines.
UPDATE: January 18, 2019 – According to two individuals that are familiar with Andrew Psomas’ fall from a tower on Jan. 10 that took his life, the three-man tower crew he was assigned to was performing tiger team warranty work for AT&T on the 190-foot self-supporting tower.
Psomas was reportedly at the 150-foot level when he fell. It is not known whether he was tied off or if there was a harness or safety climb failure. Psomas’ harness and the structure is being investigated by OSHA.
Upon arrival at the site the crew reportedly did not contact Crown Castle’s NOC. Crown Castle did not return a request for information from Wireless Estimator regarding the fatality.
No information is being provided by Psomas’ employer or others as to whether the crew, which had one green hand, took measures to identify hazards associated with a night climb. Sunset in Pennington County was at about 4:40 p.m. The accident occurred about four hours later.
Psomas’ mother and step-father are expected to fly home from South Dakota tomorrow after making service arrangements for their son.
==============
January 15, 2019 – South Dakota authorities have informed Wireless Estimator that a 23-year-old tower technician fell to his death from a cell tower on Thurs., Jan. 10, 2019 and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Pennington County Sheriff’s spokesperson said that the deceased worker was Andrew Michael Psomas. They did not have readily available his home address.
Psomas, who made his first climb on Jan. 19, 2018, according to his Facebook page, was employed by True North Tower of Sauk Rapids, MN when the accident happened.
According to authorities, a call for emergency assistance came in at 8:44 p.m. It is unknown at what height Psomas was at on the 190-foot Crown Castle self-supporting tower when he fell. Temperatures at 9:00 p.m. hovered around 39 degrees F.
The structure is located on 154th Ave. near Caputa, a small rural community of 173 residents.
“ We are deeply saddened by this tragic event and our thoughts are with Andrew’s family, friends and co-workers as we work through this difficult time,” a spokesperson from True North Tower said.
“At this very early stage of the investigation, we have no further details other than what has been reported by local authorities. We are in the process of working with local agencies, including OSHA, to conduct a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding this event. This is a very difficult time for all involved and we ask that you respect the privacy of those involved to preserve dignity,” he said.
According to friends of Psomas, he was not married.
Psomas was the first tower technician to die in 2019 in a work-related accident.
Wireless Estimator will provide additional details as they become known.###
====================
A Colorado technician died last week after falling from a cell tower in Pennington County, officials confirmed.
Andrew Psomas, 23, of Broomfield, Colo., died Jan. 10 while working on a cell tower on 154th Avenue near Caputa, said Helene Duhamel, spokeswoman for the Pennington County Sheriff's Office. The call was reported at 8:44 p.m.
Psomas was the first tower technician to die this year while working, according to Wireless Estimator, an industry outlet.
While the sheriff's office responded to the call and conducted a coroner's exam, the office is not investigating the incident, Duhamel said.
True North Tower, the Sauk Rapids, Minn., company that Psomas was working for, also confirmed the incident and said they are in the process of working with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a federal agency, to conduct an investigation.
"We are deeply saddened by this tragic event and our thoughts are with Andrew’s family, friends and co-workers as we work through this difficult time," an emailed statement from Jordan Wang, the vice president of True North Tower said.
According to the company's website, it has an intensive safety training program and substance abuse policy, conducts unscheduled site visits, and investigates all safety incidents.
OSHA has six months to conduct the investigation into the death, spokesman Scott Allen said. If the agency finds health and safety violations, he said, it can issue citations and propose fines.
(AKA: Andrew Welch)
UPDATE: January 18, 2019 – According to two individuals that are familiar with Andrew Psomas’ fall from a tower on Jan. 10 that took his life, the three-man tower crew he was assigned to was performing tiger team warranty work for AT&T on the 190-foot self-supporting tower.
Psomas was reportedly at the 150-foot level when he fell. It is not known whether he was tied off or if there was a harness or safety climb failure. Psomas’ harness and the structure is being investigated by OSHA.
Upon arrival at the site the crew reportedly did not contact Crown Castle’s NOC. Crown Castle did not return a request for information from Wireless Estimator regarding the fatality.
No information is being provided by Psomas’ employer or others as to whether the crew, which had one green hand, took measures to identify hazards associated with a night climb. Sunset in Pennington County was at about 4:40 p.m. The accident occurred about four hours later.
Psomas’ mother and step-father are expected to fly home from South Dakota tomorrow after making service arrangements for their son.
==============
January 15, 2019 – South Dakota authorities have informed Wireless Estimator that a 23-year-old tower technician fell to his death from a cell tower on Thurs., Jan. 10, 2019 and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Pennington County Sheriff’s spokesperson said that the deceased worker was Andrew Michael Psomas. They did not have readily available his home address.
Psomas, who made his first climb on Jan. 19, 2018, according to his Facebook page, was employed by True North Tower of Sauk Rapids, MN when the accident happened.
According to authorities, a call for emergency assistance came in at 8:44 p.m. It is unknown at what height Psomas was at on the 190-foot Crown Castle self-supporting tower when he fell. Temperatures at 9:00 p.m. hovered around 39 degrees F.
The structure is located on 154th Ave. near Caputa, a small rural community of 173 residents.
“ We are deeply saddened by this tragic event and our thoughts are with Andrew’s family, friends and co-workers as we work through this difficult time,” a spokesperson from True North Tower said.
“At this very early stage of the investigation, we have no further details other than what has been reported by local authorities. We are in the process of working with local agencies, including OSHA, to conduct a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding this event. This is a very difficult time for all involved and we ask that you respect the privacy of those involved to preserve dignity,” he said.
According to friends of Psomas, he was not married.
Psomas was the first tower technician to die in 2019 in a work-related accident.
Wireless Estimator will provide additional details as they become known.###
====================
A Colorado technician died last week after falling from a cell tower in Pennington County, officials confirmed.
Andrew Psomas, 23, of Broomfield, Colo., died Jan. 10 while working on a cell tower on 154th Avenue near Caputa, said Helene Duhamel, spokeswoman for the Pennington County Sheriff's Office. The call was reported at 8:44 p.m.
Psomas was the first tower technician to die this year while working, according to Wireless Estimator, an industry outlet.
While the sheriff's office responded to the call and conducted a coroner's exam, the office is not investigating the incident, Duhamel said.
True North Tower, the Sauk Rapids, Minn., company that Psomas was working for, also confirmed the incident and said they are in the process of working with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a federal agency, to conduct an investigation.
"We are deeply saddened by this tragic event and our thoughts are with Andrew’s family, friends and co-workers as we work through this difficult time," an emailed statement from Jordan Wang, the vice president of True North Tower said.
According to the company's website, it has an intensive safety training program and substance abuse policy, conducts unscheduled site visits, and investigates all safety incidents.
OSHA has six months to conduct the investigation into the death, spokesman Scott Allen said. If the agency finds health and safety violations, he said, it can issue citations and propose fines.
UPDATE: January 18, 2019 – According to two individuals that are familiar with Andrew Psomas’ fall from a tower on Jan. 10 that took his life, the three-man tower crew he was assigned to was performing tiger team warranty work for AT&T on the 190-foot self-supporting tower.
Psomas was reportedly at the 150-foot level when he fell. It is not known whether he was tied off or if there was a harness or safety climb failure. Psomas’ harness and the structure is being investigated by OSHA.
Upon arrival at the site the crew reportedly did not contact Crown Castle’s NOC. Crown Castle did not return a request for information from Wireless Estimator regarding the fatality.
No information is being provided by Psomas’ employer or others as to whether the crew, which had one green hand, took measures to identify hazards associated with a night climb. Sunset in Pennington County was at about 4:40 p.m. The accident occurred about four hours later.
Psomas’ mother and step-father are expected to fly home from South Dakota tomorrow after making service arrangements for their son.
==============
January 15, 2019 – South Dakota authorities have informed Wireless Estimator that a 23-year-old tower technician fell to his death from a cell tower on Thurs., Jan. 10, 2019 and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Pennington County Sheriff’s spokesperson said that the deceased worker was Andrew Michael Psomas. They did not have readily available his home address.
Psomas, who made his first climb on Jan. 19, 2018, according to his Facebook page, was employed by True North Tower of Sauk Rapids, MN when the accident happened.
According to authorities, a call for emergency assistance came in at 8:44 p.m. It is unknown at what height Psomas was at on the 190-foot Crown Castle self-supporting tower when he fell. Temperatures at 9:00 p.m. hovered around 39 degrees F.
The structure is located on 154th Ave. near Caputa, a small rural community of 173 residents.
“ We are deeply saddened by this tragic event and our thoughts are with Andrew’s family, friends and co-workers as we work through this difficult time,” a spokesperson from True North Tower said.
“At this very early stage of the investigation, we have no further details other than what has been reported by local authorities. We are in the process of working with local agencies, including OSHA, to conduct a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding this event. This is a very difficult time for all involved and we ask that you respect the privacy of those involved to preserve dignity,” he said.
According to friends of Psomas, he was not married.
Psomas was the first tower technician to die in 2019 in a work-related accident.
Wireless Estimator will provide additional details as they become known.###
====================
A Colorado technician died last week after falling from a cell tower in Pennington County, officials confirmed.
Andrew Psomas, 23, of Broomfield, Colo., died Jan. 10 while working on a cell tower on 154th Avenue near Caputa, said Helene Duhamel, spokeswoman for the Pennington County Sheriff's Office. The call was reported at 8:44 p.m.
Psomas was the first tower technician to die this year while working, according to Wireless Estimator, an industry outlet.
While the sheriff's office responded to the call and conducted a coroner's exam, the office is not investigating the incident, Duhamel said.
True North Tower, the Sauk Rapids, Minn., company that Psomas was working for, also confirmed the incident and said they are in the process of working with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a federal agency, to conduct an investigation.
"We are deeply saddened by this tragic event and our thoughts are with Andrew’s family, friends and co-workers as we work through this difficult time," an emailed statement from Jordan Wang, the vice president of True North Tower said.
According to the company's website, it has an intensive safety training program and substance abuse policy, conducts unscheduled site visits, and investigates all safety incidents.
OSHA has six months to conduct the investigation into the death, spokesman Scott Allen said. If the agency finds health and safety violations, he said, it can issue citations and propose fines.
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