A construction worker was killed when part of the foundation of the Hanson, Massachusetts, home he was waterproofing fell on him Wednesday, officials said.
First responders were still working to remove the man's body from the scene hours after 911 was called to report he'd been trapped, according to Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz, who called the construction accident at the Dwight Street home "a very tough event."
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Officials haven't publicly identified the man who died, but his family said he was 51-year-old Gerceir DeFaria, a recent immigrant from Brazil.
"The heart is broken," said his brother, Elias DeFaria said. "Every day, he called to his family, every day."
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The man was waterproofing the home's basement when part of the foundation broke off and fell on about half of his body at about 11:30 a.m., according to Cruz.
Workers were using air bags and other tools to shore up the building. It wasn't immediately clear if the house was livable, but Hanson's fire chief said the building was stable.
OSHA was investigating what happened, along with police and firefighters. Cruz said the investigation would look into whether there was any wrongdoing involved.
Faria's brother said the man came to the U.S. for work about six months ago and that his wife and kids are still in Brazil. They were in shock and couldn't understand how the incident happened.
