Freak Accident Kills Dockworker

A freak accident killed a dockworker on the job at Holt Marine Terminal in Gloucester City Wednesday.

The accident happened as the workers were unloading a shipload of plywood.

The man who died was identified late Wednesday afternoon as Edward Wheeler, of Sicklerville, N.J.

As the workers unloaded the wood, a chain slipped and the load of wood fell three stories to the ground, killing the worker.

"We had a group of men working on a vessel. We had cargo dislodge from the draft that was being discharged and fell. Part of the cargo load hit one of the workers and that resulted in the gentleman's very tragic death," said Leo Holt, President of Holt's Oversight Technologies.

Holt said that Wheeler had not been working for the company very long.

Wheeler, 59, had a big family, and two of his relatives were on the scene of the accident, but decided they were too upset to talk to the media.

"What I know about him from gathering some information is he's a very devoted family man, with a very close relationship with his brothers and sisters, and that he's very well liked by everyone that worked with him," Holt said.

The death has officially been described as an accident, but the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will still be investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Article continues below

---

advertisement

---

Author: Copyright 2004 by NBC10.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.