Fatality: Teen worker falls into sewage pit
March 3, 2010 by Fred HosierPosted in: Bizarre Accident of the Week, Falls, Fatality, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views
Authorities are investigating a gruesome fatality involving a teenager working at a restaurant.
17-year-old Ameri Zequir was taking out garbage from a Long Island, NY, Dunkin Donuts, when he fell into an uncovered manhole and died in the cesspool below.
His death wasn’t instant. Rescuers were able to talk to him as he struggled to stay afloat in the hole filled with 8 feet of sewage.
Zequir was pulled out but pronounced dead at a local hospital.
According to WCBS-TV, garbage bins were located behind some sawhorses with the open cesspool nearby.
Neighbors said the alley containing the open cesspool had been in disrepair for years.
Sources told WCBS that criminal charges hinge on how long the cesspool was open and who knew about the danger. The county district attorney is investigating.
Police say it’s possible the cesspool cover was dislodged during snow removal, but no one knows why it remained open.
Detectives have found half of the manhole cover and believe the other half may be at the bottom of the pit that Zeqir fell into.
SafetyNewsAlert.com delivers the latest Safety news once a week to the inboxes of over 270,000 Safety professionals.
Click here to sign up and start your FREE subscription to SafetyNewsAlert!
Tags: sewage pit, teenager, uncovered manhole
Loading ...
March 10th, 2010 at 9:37 am
Not nearly enough evidence to offer an opinion. For insstance - while it seems obvious the employee was acting on behalf of the employer and doing his job, who owns (controls) the alley? Who is responsible for maintaining the offending manhole? Were previous reports made of the danger to whoever is the responsible party. If so, how often and how many.
While it is obviously a grotesque situation, I would question whether or not the employer is responbile (thus Workers Comp). However, someone has a huge legal liability!!!!
March 10th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
I’d also be curious as to what time of day it was and what the lighting conditions were…. and who would have been responsible for that.