WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- An attorney for the family of a construction worker who died after falling off a building believes there may have been a malfunction with the victim's safety equipment.
The victim Carlos Lopez-Sanchez, a 27-year-old originally from Guatemala, was a construction worker on The Alexander Apartments in West Palm Beach set to open next year.
The building will be 16 stories tall. West Palm Beach police say Lopez-Sanchez was at least on the 10th floor.
The family of the victim told their attorney they believe there was an issue with the victim’s safety harness.
The cause of the fall is still under investigation.
Witnesses also saw “pieces of the floor” seem to fall from near the top of the building.
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration is involved in the investigation.
The construction company working on the site is Kast Construction. Ceco Concrete Construction is also involved in the project.
Neither company has released a statement about the fatality.
The developer, Kolter and Ram Realty have also not released statements.
People who live and work in the area were horrified by the scene.
Katie Bryant was on her way to a nearby spin studio.
“I looked up and saw a huge piece of debris falling. My first thought was this is falling and it’s going to hit someone. I didn’t see a person falling or anything, but when I got to the studio I saw unfortunately a man laying flat on the ground.”
The family of the man also arrived on the scene looking for answers.
“It’s so scary and it’s so unfortunate. My prayers go out to the family and friends,” Bryant continued.
This is the second construction related accident in the area in nearly 6 months.
In March, a mural at the Alexander Lofts collapsed, injuring four people in a nearby law office and displacing dozens of residents.
“I was here for that too actually. I was cleaning the studio when the mural fell too.”
Bryant is now among some people questioning the safety of some area construction projects.
“I walk under that building every single day on my way to work. I'm scared that something is going to fall now,”she said.
Friday police said no foul play is suspected in Lopez-Sanchez's death.
