Co-Worker Tried To Stop Fatal UI Fall, Records Show

By Jami Brinton, Reporter

Tools

By Richard Pratt

Story Created: Sep 15, 2010 at 11:52 AM CDT

Story Updated: Sep 15, 2010 at 3:46 PM CDT

IOWA CITY -- Records obtained from the University of Iowa Department of Public Safety state Mikel O’Haver, a co-worker of Thomas Fosdick who died from complications suffered after falling 40 feet while working in the University of Iowa Boyd Law Building, tried to prevent Fosdick from falling off the ladder he was working on.

In a written statement, O’Haver said he was working on the roof of the law school assisting Fosdick saw a glass frame.

“I was keeping a eye on him [Fosdick] because I had a bad feeling he wasn’t tied off,” O’Haver wrote.

O’Haver said when Fosdick finished what he was cutting, “he lost his balance…and fell to the right making the ladder lean to the right.”

“It teetered right then back,” O’Haver wrote. “Tommy fell backwards hitting the ladder twisting Tommy around.”

O’Haver said when Fosdick started to fall he “grabbed his belt buckle trying to straighten him out in the process,” but had to let Fosdick go.

“I lost feeling in my arm and had to let go so I didn’t fall off the roof,” he wrote. “He [Fosdick] loosened his grip in the process.”

Police reports state O’Haver injured his shoulder while trying to hold Fosdick. It also says if O’Haver had not let go he would have fallen also.

Officer Brett Balliet of the University of Iowa Public Safety found O’Haver “holding the hand of Thomas Fosdick, while also applying pressure to Fosdick’s left shoulder.”

Officer Balliet found Fosdick “unconscious with labored breathing.”

Police concluded that “Fosdick was not wearing fall protection and the ladder was not tied off.”

Next Article Man Arrested for OWI with Zebra, Parrot in Front Seat of Truck

Conversation Guidelines

Be Kind

Don't use abusive, offensive, threatening, racist, vulgar or sexually-oriented language.
Don't attack someone personally. Keep it civil and be responsible.

Share Knowledge

Be truthful. Share what you know and what you are passionate about.
What more do you want to learn? Keep it simple.

Stay focused

Promote lively and healthy debate. Stay on topic. Ask questions and give feedback on the story's topic.

Report Trouble

Help us maintain a quality comment section by reporting comments that are offensive. If you see a comment that is offensive, or you feel violates our guidelines, simply click on the "x" to the far right of the comment to report it.

read the full guidelines here »

Commenting will be disabled on stories dealing with the following subject matter: Crime, sexual abuse, property fires, automobile accidents, Amber Alerts, Operation Quickfinds and suicides.