Overview
- Crews responded after a 4:20 p.m. 911 call on Thursday and found a house under construction at 12002 Salvador St. had collapsed during a short, intense wind event.
- Four men were working on the framing when the structure failed; two escaped, one was rescued and taken to Dell Seton Medical Center with potentially serious injuries, and one man in his 30s was found dead.
- Responders stabilized and lifted the building to free the trapped worker and delayed recovery of the deceased until weather conditions improved so a structural engineer could assist.
- The U.S. Department of Labor’s OSHA opened a workplace safety investigation that may take up to six months, and Travis County authorities have launched a criminal investigation.
- Incomplete framing and inadequate temporary supports can make buildings vulnerable to microburst or straight-line gusts, and investigators will review site practices, bracing and compliance with construction safety rules.