One construction worker died and seven others were injured, three of them critically, when a six-story scaffolding collapsed early Tuesday afternoon at Presbyterian Rust Medical Center in Rio Rancho.
Clay Holderman, chief operating officer of the Presbyterian delivery system, said contractor McCarthy Building Cos. Inc. notified Presbyterian of the collapse just before 1 p.m. The scaffolding was attached to a new patient tower that is nearing completion.
A 21-foot-wide section of the scaffolding buckled and collapsed from the sixth, top-most story down, Holderman told a news conference.
He said all patients were construction workers, most of whom were on the fifth floor when the scaffolding collapsed, according to reports he received.
They are employees of one of McCarthy’s subcontractors, although Holderman didn’t know which one.
Rio Rancho Fire Inspector Jessica Duron-Martinez said in an interview a few hours after the accident that four of the workers had non-life-threatening injuries and that four were critically injured. About 6 p.m., the Rio Rancho Fire Rescue Department reported that one of the workers had died.
Presbyterian was still working to notify the workers’ families Tuesday afternoon. Darren Shafer, medical director for Rio Rancho’s urgent and emergency services, declined to release the identities until that was completed.
Duron-Martinez said several workers were rescued from the debris by firefighters and Presbyterian staff. Rio Rancho Fire Rescue Department, PHI medical helicopters and Albuquerque Ambulance Service helped take patients to hospitals, she said.
Specially trained firefighters from the Albuquerque Fire Department and Rio Rancho responded to assist.
Holderman said he didn’t know what caused the accident.
“We’ve been working on safety and treating the people who were injured, and now the investigation will begin,” he said.
A subcontractor built the scaffolding, and employees were working on windows and other items, he said.
“We had response from inside Rust Medical Center as well as amazing response from our first responders, police and fire,” Holderman said.
All 238 workers employed at the site were released until McCarthy and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration finished their investigations. Holderman didn’t know when construction would start again.
Holderman said it was a difficult day for Presbyterian, McCarthy and the community.
“Our prayers are with the employees and their families,” he said.
Patty Johnson, a Phoenix-based spokeswoman for McCarthy Building Cos., said the company was hopeful that those injured would recover and “confident that everyone was getting the best medical care possible.”
Bo Calbert, the president of McCarthy Buildings, released a statement Tuesday night saying his thoughts are with the family, friends and co-workers of the person who died and the company will investigate why the scaffolding collapsed.
“We are providing our full support to the local authorities and the New Mexico Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials on the investigation into the cause of today’s incident,” Calbert said. “We will also be conducting our own investigation of the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
Construction of Presbyterian Rust’s second tower began in June 2014. The six-story, $86 million tower was expected to open its first three floors to patients Nov. 2, but Holderman said that may be delayed. The remaining top three floors will be “shelled” and will open later.
Observer staff writer Antonio Sanchez and Journal staff writer Rick Nathanson contributed to this article.
