Clearwater City Inspectors Say Garage Owner Cited For Cracks In Stairwell Before Collapse

CLEARWATER, FL — It was a tragic outcome but one rescue workers and the victim's family expected. The body of the 23-year-old worker who was trapped while making repairs to a concrete stairwell was recovered just before 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The man's family has been on the scene of the collapse since it occurred Monday and were prepared for the outcome, said Clearwater Fire Division Chief John Klinefelter. The man has not been identified.

City officials are expected to provide an update on the collapse at noon Wednesday.

Cleawater Fire & Rescue Department crews, along with the Clearwater Police Department and other fire departments from across Pinellas County, were called at 12:35 p.m. Monday to the four-story parking garage next to the Tampa Bay Water administrative offices at 2575 Enterprise Road, just off Countryside Boulevard.

Several workers were making repairs to the stairwell of the garage when the second and third levels of the concrete stairwell collapsed, trapping one worker in debris beneath the collapsed portion. Two other workers were able to get out of the garage uninjured.

Klinefelter said structural engineers were immediately brought in to assess the safety of having rescuers enter the garage. They determined it was too dangerous and advised rescuers to call in construction crews to use heavy equipment to remove the upper portions of the stairway first.

The construction crews were delayed on Tuesday due to strong winds but worked through the night, recovering the man's body early Wednesday morning.

Investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were on the scene and the city's Planning and Development Department is researching the permitting and construction history of the parking garage to determine the reasons for the collapse.

The stairwell was being repaired because several large cracks had developed in it.

The Planning and Development Department received a complaint about cracks developing in the concrete in July and inspected the parking garage. The inspector said the building shows signs of deterioration and advised calling in a structural engineer.

The city department sent a notice of violation to the building's owners that same month, requesting an inspection by a structural engineer.

The city said the owner had contracted with a structural engineer and was waiting for him to schedule an inspection. When the engineer was unable to schedule an inspection by October, the owner hired a welding company to come in and make repairs. However, the city inspector said he had not received a report from a structural engineer on the work that needed to be done or an application for a permit to make the repairs.

See related story: 23-Year-Old Worker Feared Dead In Collapsed Stairwell Of Garage