A subcontractor working on a Ferris wheel lift at a New Jersey amusement park fell to his death Monday, officials said.
The incident occurred at Gillian’s Wonderland Pier on the Ocean City Boardwalk, said Leni Fortson, a spokesperson for the U.S. Labor Department, which oversees the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA.
OSHA is investigating the worker's death and has six months to release its findings, Fortson said.
No one with Gillian’s Wonderland Pier could be reached for comment Tuesday. The subcontractor’s death was confirmed in a statement on its Facebook page.
“We are saddened to report that an employee of a subcontractor working on a lift at Gillian’s Wonderland Pier suffered a fatal injury Monday morning. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family,” Jay A. Gillian, the amusement park’s president, said in the statement.
“We are cooperating with all appropriate authorities to thoroughly investigate the cause of this tragic accident. As we get more information we will provide it.”
Robert Sanger, 62, of Pittsgrove, New Jersey, is the subcontractor who died, NBC Philadelphia reported. He was a welder. Sanger worked for Cargo Tech International of Swedesboro, the station reported.
No one with Cargo Tech International could be reached for comment. The amusement park and Cargo Tech International are under investigation by OSHA, Fortson said.
Lauren Sanger Bradway, Sanger's daughter, said her father was a hard worker who loved his job.
"He was a wonderful man," she said. "He did everything. He was a builder. I'm going to miss everything about him."