Crane Collapse 911 Call

By Cassandra Duvall

CREATED Aug. 1, 2012

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  • New details in a deadly crane collapse that killed one man, and seriously hurt another. Video by nbc26.com

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OSHKOSH, WI - New details in a deadly crane collapse that killed one man, and seriously hurt another.

 
This happened back on July 5, on the Butte des Morts Bridge in Oshkosh. A crane collapsed and killed 35 year-old Joseph Bidler of Green Bay. He worked for Spancrete Construction. 
Now, we have newly released 911 calls made to the Winnebago 911 Call center. The call came in just after 9:00 a.m. There’s just over seven minutes of the call, starting with a man who identifies himself as Jason Konrad a safety officer on the project. 
 
“We've got one severe head trauma from a crushing injury right now. He is need of immediate attention,” said the safety officer. Operator: “Hang on with me ok?” 
 
This call came in just after a 52-ton concrete beam collapsed on the bridge nearly a month ago.
 
“We have two critical for sure right now. We have two critical for sure right now,” said the caller who works on the project. 
 
Joseph Bidler was killed, and Martin Deridder suffered serious injuries. The safety officer was trying to direct the paramedics the best way to get to the men who were hurt, one of the men was on a barge in the water.
 
“We just need to get the paramedics here,” said the caller. “If they get here. We got one guy right now, if we don’t get him attention, he's not going to make it. We've got one guy right now...”
Operator: “I do have them on the way, ok?”
 
After a while, the safety officer hands the phone off, and starts CPR on one of the men. 
 
“At this point, if he's not breathing, let's hold him over, but don't fall. At this point if he's not breathing, he ain't going to make it. Try to support his head,” he said. 
 
The call goes on for more than seven minutes, until crews arrive. 
 
Now OSHA continues to investigate. 
 
“The equipment. How it was being used, if all the OSHA regulations were being followed for this type of construction work,” said Scott Allen, a spokesman with OSHA. 
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The agency will determine whether the companies were in violation of regulations, and refer any penalties. OSHA has up to six months to complete their investigation and release the findings.