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A construction worker was killed when he was sucked into a sinkhole in front of a Long Island NY home

Worker Sucked Into Long Island Cesspool

May 25, 2017
A cesspool collapsed at a home on Long Island, consuming the front yard and part of the driveway of the home and killing a worker who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Edward Sinnott, a 59-year-old worker, was sucked into a collapsing cesspool on May 24, resulting in an hours-long, unsuccessful rescue effort. Another worker nearly was sucked in when the sinkhole developed around 1 p.m., but managed to grab onto construction equipment.

Local responders – including those from Nassau County Emergency Service, Suffolk County Police Second Precinct and Emergency Service Section, Nassau County Emergency Service, the Huntington and Huntington Manor fire departments, the Greenlawn Fire Department and Dix Hills Fire Department – finally recovered Sinnott’s body around 7 p.m. as friends, family and neighbors waited.

Sinnott was an employee of Antorino & Sons, which was installing the cesspool when the dirt around the excavation started collapsing, creating the giant sinkhole. Sinnott reportedly was directing a crane when he was sucked into the hole and covered in as much as 15 feet of dirt and mud.

OSHA is investigating the fatality.

A YouCaring page has been set up to help the family of Edward Sinnott. Please click here to donate.

About the Author

Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith is the former content director of EHS Today, and is currently the EHSQ content & community lead at Intelex Technologies Inc. She has written about occupational safety and health and environmental issues since 1990.

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