Longshoreman Killed In Early Morning Accident At Port Of Oakland
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- A worker at the Port of Oakland died early Tuesday when he apparently fell off a large freighter onto the dock and then tumbled into the water, authorities said.
The accident took place between 2 a.m.-3 a.m. on a freighter being unloaded at the busy port near Berth 58.
Authorities told the East Bay Times that the worker apparently was attempting to secure a container on the ship when he slipped. He tumbled to the dock and then onto the water.
Oakland firefighters, police and the Coast Guard immediately arrived at the berth. Firefighters retrieved the man from the water, but he was declared dead at the scene.
No other details were released about the victim. The Coast Guard will join with Cal-Osha in handling the investigation of the death.
"This is a tragedy that strikes everyone very deeply," Port of Oakland maritime director John Driscoll said in a statement. "The waterfront is a tightly-knit community and if a member of that community succumbs we all share the grief."
The port said workers including longshoremen were remaining on the job despite shelter-in-place orders during the novel coronavirus crisis because the port has been designated as critical infrastructure.