06.05.2022

Fatal boom lift incident

A man was thrown to his death at a New Jersey amusement park, earlier this week when the telescopic boom lift, he was working from tipped to the rear.

The man, Robert Sanger, 62, a welder with Cargo Tech International was working, or preparing to work on a 44 metre high Ferris at Gillian’s Wonderland Pier on the Ocean City Boardwalk. It seems that the as Sanger negotiated a ramp with the boom elevated, but retracted, one of the rear wheels dropped – either when the ground gave way, or slipping off a kerb?

OSHA is investigating the incident, but details of what actually happened remain sketchy, the indications are that he was thrown from the platform, if so, it would indicate that he was not wearing a harness, as the boom lift a Gene S model remain upright and stable.

The park issued a written statement from park president Jay Gillian following the incident which said: “We are saddened to report that an employee of a subcontractor working on a lift at Gillian’s Wonderland Pier suffered a fatal injury Monday morning.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.
We are cooperating with all appropriate authorities to thoroughly investigate the cause of this tragic accident. As we get more information, we will provide it.”
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We will update this when we learn more, in the meantime it will hopefully remind boom lift operators of the importance of wearing a harness with short lanyard attached.