OSHA, police investigating worker death at radio tower in Atlantic City

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1. Gin pole failure claims a tech's life on an Atlantic City tower, the 2nd fatality this week, the 6th this year

Gin pole failure claims a tech’s life on an Atlantic City tower, the 2nd fatality this week, the 6th this year

In Featured News by Wireless Estimator / December 5, 2025


Emergency personnel observe the rescue of a tower technician in Atlanta [sic] City, NJ. Still, the worker succumbed to his injuries at the scene, marking the latest fatality in an industry that is reeling from two deaths this week and six in 2025.

A 44-year-old tower technician died late yesterday afternoon in Atlantic City, N.J., after a gin pole reportedly failed while a crew was removing an abandoned FM pylon from atop a 347-foot self-supporting tower located off Murray Avenue, near the city’s water-treatment plant.

Individuals familiar with the incident, who requested anonymity and declined to identify the technician or his employer pending formal notifications, said the three-person team on the tower was lowering the mast when the gin pole failed. The pole bent under load, they said, but did not detach from the tower but the pylon’s loadline snapped when the gin pole became compromised, possibly because it was side-loaded.

Despite heroic attempts by fellow climbers, the technician did not survive


OSHA will be investigating why the gin pole failed as the pylon was being removed. The rooster head apparently fell out of the top section of the pole, taking the load line with it. The bridle slings are still connected to the pole and the tower.

Immediately after the failure, two technicians noticed their colleague talking but faint, with no apparent signs of injury. They immediately began assisting him down the tower. At approximately the 200-foot level, one climber realized the technician had stopped breathing, and his partner called 911.

The pair then began CPR and continued their efforts in 30-degree temperatures for approximately an hour, performing resuscitation on the structure until first responders arrived and assisted in lowering the man to the ground. He was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. Their actions were a profound act of dedication under adverse conditions. ... OSHA is investigating and is on site today. ... Media outlets have incorrectly reported that the tower was 425 feet tall and that the deceased’s coworkers required rescue. Neither statement is accurate.

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