Construction Worker Falls in Delaware River, Dies

A construction worker died last night after falling off Pier 78 (left) in South Philadelphia, officials said. | Photo via Wikimapia

[Updated 2:30 p.m.] A construction worker died on the job Thursday night when he fell into the Delaware River off a pier in South Philadelphia, officials said.

According to a spokeswoman for the Philadelphia Police Department, police were called to Pier 78 last night around 8:30 p.m. when a co-worker returned from a break and spotted the man’s hard hat and goggles floating in the Delaware River.

A police marine unit retrieved the man from the river around 9:30 p.m. and took him to Hahnemann University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:33 p.m.

The Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the victim as 50-year-old John Johnson of Wilmington, Del. The case remains pending and the cause of death has not yet been determined.

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