Man Dies Following Fall from Crane
A young father from the Corozal District died following a freak accident on Monday afternoon at the Belize/Mexico Border. Twenty-five-year-old Germain Rivera and his co-worker Julio Zetina fell from a crane while working at Princess Vegas Casino. Rivera died at the scene and Zetina is currently at a private hospital in Belize City. This latest incident has renewed the call for the government to implement the OSH Bill. Hipolito Novelo reports.
Hipolito Novelo reporting
Twenty-five-year-old San Joaquin Village resident Germain Rivera died here, in the parking lot of the Princess Vegas Casino at the Belize/Mexico border. He and his co-worker, Julio Zetina, were in a personnel man basket hoisted by this crane. They were fixing the lamppost in the parking lot, the very last one for the day, when something went terribly wrong.
Rigoberto Rivera
Rigoberto Rivera, Father of deceased
“I was just informed that there was an accident. And knowing my son, he, from very young, he was not so normal per se, because he used to like adrenaline, adventure so when they call me and they said there was a, an accident with a Korean, and they told me it’s more likely that my son is there, I say to myself, not likely he will be there because that’s the, that’s the way he work. That’s what he likes.”
Guven Eraslan, the Managing Director of Princess Casinos International, told News Five today that the iron chains that held the crane basket snapped. The men fell to the pavement while still inside the basket. The hook block reportedly fell on Rivera’s head, killing him instantly. Zetina received head and leg injuries and is currently hospitalized in Belize City, awaiting surgery. News of the tragic incident quickly spread and Rigoberto Rivera, Germain’s father, was then informed of his passing.
Rigoberto Rivera
“And then I receive a second call and told me my son passed away. I said, no problem. Pass away. Because, that was his lane, right?”
Hipolito Novelo
“How long was he working there?”
Rigoberto Rivera
“I think it was four or five months, I think. I understand they were checking, putting some lights at the entrance of the casino. Right. checking the pictures of the crane. I have not been given the details. All right. I don’t know how. I can’t really. I said that this so don’t don’t take my word for that. They were working and apparently it was at the entrance of the casino.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Nobody ever tell you if he was wearing harness or any kind of secured belt?”
Rigoberto Rivera
“No, no details, no details. And we were not looking into details because after our words when they told me, well you know, the whole scenario changed. You have to go and now, you pass that level, and what you are looking for is to give it closure. You know, there’s a big process towards it.”
Germain Rivera
Princess Casinos International says “We are all very sad and deeply saddened at the loss of one of our Princess family member, of fine young man. Our pain is really indescribable”. According to Eraslan, new management took operations of the casino and hotel two months ago, with a grand opening about a month ago. He says that the equipment was serviced and inspected three weeks ago. Both families are receiving help from the company. Today, Rivera’s family and friends prepare his resting place at the village’s cemetery. He leaves behind a four-year-old daughter.
Rigoberto Rivera
“It’s difficult. It’s difficult. You know, males were more, kind of, managed it. But his mother, more fragile, and his wife fragile, so. And the child was, the child doesn’t really understand what is happening. Right? So, that’s the way we are doing it.”
Hipolito Novelo
“And has anyone from the company reached out to the family as well?”
Rigoberto Rivera
“Yes, the, the, the, the, the manager there, the, well, Human Resources came, came and I, right, and rendered a help so far and told her that, told me that we’re going to discuss more details afterward. He was a very agile man. Responsible. Right. So, caring, loving parent. And he had his ups and downs. More than that, he was caring. Responsible for his wife and his daughter. Well, taking the good out of the bad I know he died doing what he like, right, and I can’t condemn the man, right, because he was working, right, so, God knows what is his plan, so, right, so, I have no, no complaints, right.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Hipolito Novelo.
