A 43-year-old construction worker died from injuries he sustained in a partial roof collapse in Marine Park on Thursday.
Workers were conducting repairs and installing a new refrigeration unit on the first floor of a closed steakhouse at 3223 Quentin Road just before 9 a.m. when the roof caved in, officials said.
Emergency responders arrived on the scene within four minutes, said FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Joseph Duggan in a statement, and found the man trapped beneath a heavy slab of concrete in a rear addition to the restaurant. The man was unconscious and unresponsive, according to the NYPD.
Firefighters from Engine Company 309 and Ladder Company 139 used the “jaws of life” and specialized airbags to lift the slab and a piece of heavy equipment Joseph said, but had to call in additional units from Rescue Company 2 and Squad Company 252 to stabilize the debris and rescue the man.
FDNY Rescue Medics, who are trained in confined space operations, treated the man on the scene before he was rushed to Brookdale University Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, police said. His identity is being withheld pending family notification.
The incident is under active investigation by the Department of Buildings, Office of Emergency Management, and OSHA, police said. There were two other workers in the building at the time of the collapse, both unharmed, according to the FDNY.
City records show that the building — which used to be home to the now-closed T-Fusion Steakhouse — was cited for work without a permit in 2017, after DOB inspectors noted construction of two sheds at the back of the restaurant.
There did not appear to be any active construction permits issued for 3223 Quentin Road at the time of the collapse.
This is a breaking news story, and will be updated.