Loop Parkway bridge scaffolding collapse kills worker, leaves another missing

One private contractor working on the Loop Parkway bridge Wednesday afternoon is dead and another is still unaccounted for in the waters of Reynolds Channel, while six others sustained injuries when their scaffolding collapsed, New York State Police said.

Eight workers were doing construction on the drawbridge when the scaffolding collapsed around 11:50 a.m. and two fell into the water, state police said.

One worker was rescued from the water and taken to a hospital, where he died, state police said in an early evening update.

A state police spokeswoman told Newsday early Wednesday evening that they are continuing to search for the second missing worker.

Six additional workers involved in the incident did not fall into the water but sustained non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.

Emergency personnel remained on scene Wednesday. All lanes of the 2.65-mile Loop Parkway had reopened by evening.

First responders and rescue teams from eight fire departments or marine units responded to the scene, along with the Nassau Fire Marshal's Office, Nassau police, state Environmental Conservation police, the U.S. Coast Guard, constables from the towns of Hempstead and Oyster Bay and the NYPD Air/Sea Rescue teams.

Nassau County Assistant Chief Fire Marshal Michael Mennella said the Point Lookout-Lido Fire Department was dispatched to the scene before noon, while police agencies immediately deployed divers as part of a search and rescue operation.

"Fire units responded quickly and found that scaffolding under the bridge had collapsed and personnel from a bridge construction/repair crew that was working there had fallen into the water," Mennella said.

After nearly four hours, fire department operations were terminated, he said, and the scene was turned over to state police for recovery and salvage operations.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate the incident since it's a workplace accident, Mennella said.

The bridge is in the Town of Hempstead. A town spokesman deferred questions to state police.

Records show that construction on the bridge, along with two others on the Meadowbrook State Parkway, has been ongoing since September as part of a contract with the state Department of Transportation "to help maintain their reliability and integrity."

Work includes maintenance on the bridge decks, the replacement of bridge joints, installation of new railings and addition of navigation lighting to improve visibility for maritime traffic.

The workers involved in the Wednesday collapse are employed by Champion Painting, a company state officials said were paid $13.8 million to repaint and repair steel at four bridges, including the Loop Parkway drawbridge. Officials said the work should be completed by the end of 2027. 

The DOT is "gathering information" from its staff as well as Champion Painting "to assist in the investigation of this incident" Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said in a statement emailed to Newsday.

"We are very sorry to learn that one of the contractor employees involved has passed away," she added. "The safety of our workers and contractors is always NYSDOT’s top priority."

The last major construction on the bridge was in 2017 as part of a $22 million rehabilitation project.

The bridge, which runs off the Meadowbrook Parkway and Ocean Parkway at Jones Beach, is one of the primary routes to connect south Nassau County to the barrier island consisting of Point Lookout, Lido Beach, Long Beach and Atlantic Beach. 

The bridge was built in 1934 and has been subject to frequent repairs and malfunctions.

State transportation officials have said the Loop Parkway drawbridge opens approximately 2,500 times a year for marine traffic.