Worker dies during dam repairs near Crystal Falls

Crews were using a crane Tuesday afternoon to put a bulkhead into place on a hydroelectric dam in Mastodon Township when the ordinary became fatal. The boom snapped and a cable struck a superintendent on site, killing him. Forty-eight-year-old Neil Boser of Hillman, Minnesota worked for Waterworks Marine out of LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

Michigan State Police were assisted by Alpha/Mastodon Township Fire Department and Aspirus EMS on scene. Responsibility for investigating the incident will shift to Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration personnel. Spokeswoman Camara Lewis says that very little information on their findings is available at this time.

The main thrust of MiOSHA’s investigation will be whether Waterworks Marine followed all required safety practices on the job site.