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Construction Worker Killed In Accident

Emergency Workers Say Man Was Hit By Steel Beam

POSTED: 9:08 am EST March 5, 2003
UPDATED: 5:07 pm EST March 5, 2003

A construction worker was killed Wednesday morning at a construction site outside Massachusetts General Hospital.

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NewsCenter 5's Jim Boyd said that a steel girder fell on Christopher MacInnis, 30, of Salem, N.H., who was working at the construction site at about 8 a.m. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 8:30 a.m.

The victim's father and brother were also working at the site when the accident occurred. MacInnis' father witnessed the accident. Ironworkers were putting beams in place when something went wrong.

"Beams that were under construction collapsed. There is a large beam that did collapse, and it did strike the victim," Boston Fire Department spokesman Daniel McDevitt said. Another person suffered minor injuries in the accident.

An emergency medical technician was at the hospital on another call.

"We responded over to the scene and climbed up the ladder. We initiated treatment along with the Fire Department who began extrication. It was difficult extrication off the roof. We brought the patient down, via a crane, to the ground level. He was transported to the Mass General Hospital emergency room," emergency medical technician Rich Serino said.

The victim was working on the hospital's new ambulatory care center.

"(The victim's father) is very upset," Serino said.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident.

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