A 56-year-old New York construction worker was killed when he became submerged during a water main break near Long Island’s largest mall on Friday morning.
Rafael Peralta, of Babylon, was working the line underneath Ring Road outside the Roosevelt Field mall in East Garden City when the water enveloped him at around 11:13 a.m., according to News12 and Nassau County police.
Peralta’s coworkers hoisted him out of the hole after he became submerged before first responders administered “life-saving measures” at the scene.
He was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.
Peralta was employed by a private contractor hired to work on a private water main and hydrant, News12 reported, citing the Town of Hempstead.
The water main is on the property of Roosevelt Field, who had hired Peralta’s company
“Losing a loved one is really hard. Knowing that they went out there to provide for their families,” New York resident Alice Lindow told News12 near the scene. “And I just want to pray for God’s comfort and strength for the family that is grieving a lost one, because it’s never easy.”
Police launched an investigation into Peralta’s death, shutting down Ring Road between Stewart Avenue and Zeckendorf Boulevard for several hours, the outlet reported.
Peralta’s death follows a similar incident where an Illinois worker died after being trapped in an underground vault during a water main break.
Village of Westmont public works employee Matthew Heiden was killed when water filled the area he was inside on Feb. 23, 2023, according to ABC7 Chicago.
The 20-year-old, the most junior full-time employee on the crew, was “knowingly and intentionally” sent underground, according to a lawsuit filed by Cooney and Conway law firm for Heiden’s estate in November 2023.
Heiden was sent into the confined space “to work on a non-isolated, fully energized, water main valve, without the most basic plan, training, safety equipment, support or supervision,” the suit claims.
The lawsuit sought damages against the village.
A panel of three judges reversed a trial judge’s ruling in March, allowing the lawsuit to proceed, after it was initially dismissed with prejudice.
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