Tragedy strikes at new boat landing in Maryville
Last Updated on 5/30/2012
Published on 9/3/2009
By Scott Harper
sharper@gtowntimes.com
Work at the new boat landing in Maryville took a tragic turn Thursday when a worker was crushed by a crane.
Coroner Kenny Johnson identified the worker as 43-year-old Tommy Grainger of Bucksport.
He was a worker for Carolina Marine and was working on the arm of the crane when the accident occurred at about 12:20 p.m. Thursday.
Grainger's brother-in-law and co-worker, Roy Lee, said Grainger was using a hammer to knock the pins out of the crane boom at the time of the accident.
Lee said the crew had spent this week putting pilings under a sidewalk at the Carroll Ashmore Campbell Marine Complex.
Because the accident happened during the lunch hour, there were only four people on the worksite when Grainger was killed.
"It's not like he hasn't done this before. He has taken that crane apart and put it back together a thousand times," Lee said.
Police Capt. Nelson Brown confirmed Lee's description of the tragedy.
"When he was knocked one of the pins out, the crane collapsed and fell on him," Brown said.
He said the incident has been ruled an accident and the investigation is complete unless an autopsy shows a need to reopen the case.
Johnson said the autopsy will take place today but agreed that there were no signs of any foul play.
Grainger was the father of five children. The youngest is 18 months old.
County Administrator Sel Hemingway said Carolina Marine has been in charge of the underwater work, such as pilings and floating docks at the complex.
This is the first job-related death in the county since late May when a man working on renovations at Wal Mart was electrocuted.
