(Source: Dan Vazquez, American Airlines passenger) – A view of the collapsed scaffolding in a photo taken by an American Airlines passenger
Pump Patrol
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Two employees of a Coral Gables glass company were hospitalized after scaffolding they were using fell as they worked at a Miami International Airport gate.
Juan Alvarez, believed to be in his 40’s, and Anibal Amador, thought to be in his 60’s, were working at gate D-9 on concourse D in an area closed to passengers.
According to the owner of Coral Gables Glass and Mirror, Alvarez and Amador were attempting to repair a glass panel when the glass fell. That caused the scaffolding to collapse, and both men plummeted to the ground.
Both men were airlifted by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to Jackson Memorial Hospital for treatment.
The hospital will not release the workers’ condition because Alvarez’s family has requested privacy. However, the victims appeared to be conscious, according to passengers who witnessed the accident.
“Someone came with a stretcher,” said Passenger Hannah Blum.
Blum and other passengers said they were caught completely off-guard.
“I got off the plane and I saw this crash on the moving stairwell and I was like wow what just happened,” said Blum.
“There were a lot of people who were panicking, talking to police saying something had fallen from the sky,” said Passenger Alex Davenport.
The cause of the accident is under investigation.
