A crane operator has died following an incident on August 5th while carrying out a lift at a wind farm construction site north of Casper, Wyoming.
The operator, John Hoffpauir, 55, from Louisiana, was apparently working for Blattner Energy at the Cedar Springs wind energy project, part of a 200 turbine, 532 megawatt wind farm near Douglas, Wyoming, the first phase of which came online in late 2020.
A Blattner Energy publicity photo during the Cedar Springs construction phase
The incident, and his death only came to light through the coroner and the Wyoming Department of Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which has clearly stated that it will not be releasing any details of the incident at this stage of the investigation. Several of our regular readers also made contact over the past few days. We have contacted Blattner for a comment. UPDATE
'A follow on statement from the lpocal sheriff has indicated that Hoffpauir was actially driving a a bif Rough Terrain crane on the road at a speed of around 20mph when it “slowly veered off the roadway and rolled over into a pond and landed on its roof,.” It seems that he was trapped inside the cab under water and mud for five to 20 minutes before he was rescued.”'
Hoffpauir started out as a paramedic before deciding to train as a crane operator, then choosing to work in the wind power sector, travelling all the country. He leaves behind four children and five grandchildren.
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Sad news when any operator passes