A York County man has been identified as the worker killed in a fall in an empty suburban Philadelphia water tower.
Fire officials blame an equipment malfunction for the fall that killed 31-year-old Jason Schmidt, of Jacobus, on Wednesday. A second worker was left hanging inside the empty tower for three hours in a safety harness until he could be rescued.
Officials say the men were part of a crew hired by Audubon Water Co. to clean the inside of the tank in Lower Providence Township, Montgomery County. That's about 25 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
Lower Providence police say a third worker from New Jersey-based Corrosion Control Corp. who was at the bottom of the 80-foot tank was unhurt.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Fire officials blame an equipment malfunction for the fall that killed 31-year-old Jason Schmidt, of Jacobus, on Wednesday. A second worker was left hanging inside the empty tower for three hours in a safety harness until he could be rescued.
Officials say the men were part of a crew hired by Audubon Water Co. to clean the inside of the tank in Lower Providence Township, Montgomery County. That's about 25 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
Lower Providence police say a third worker from New Jersey-based Corrosion Control Corp. who was at the bottom of the 80-foot tank was unhurt.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)