Dive Brief:
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A 19-year-old man, apparently distraught over a fight with his girlfriend, climbed up a 277-foot tower crane in Stockton, CA, Tuesday and threatened to jump to his death.
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Construction on a massive steel frame for a new Stockton courthouse abruptly stopped as the crane operator locked himself into the device’s cabin and police evacuated the rest of the crew. The crane operator lowered his two-radio radio down to the man so he could communicate with a police negotiator.
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After about two hours, the negotiator talked the man into climbing down 13 stories to the ground.
Dive Insight:
An increasing number of equipment and tool thefts, close calls with runaway cars, and even deaths on building sites points to the need for more security—beyond fencing—on job sites. This man reportedly hopped over a fence surrounding the job site or walked through an unlocked gate. Nobody tried to stop the man from climbing; rather, crew members called 911, which police said was their best option, according to reports. Signs altering visitors of the presence of video cameras were posted, but no security guards, alarms or solid barricades were on site to stop the man from getting in.