Lynn, Mass. — A worker has been seriously injured at a construction site in Lynn.
Lynn Deputy Fire Chief Arthur Richard says the 38-year-old man was taken by helicopter Friday morning to a Boston hospital after suffering the injuries.
Officials say a large section of reinforcing iron, or rebar, collapsed around 8:30 a.m. as it was being lowered into a hole at the site of a 10-story apartment building under construction.
"A bunch of workers came in and were screaming and ran back outside saying, 'look, look!'" Witness Arianna Ireland told Boston 25 News.
According to Richard, the worker had to be cut from under the rebar because it was too heavy to lift off him.
"He was pinned severely," Deputy Chief Richard said. "There was no way actually lifting the rebar off of him. We even had no way of knowing if the rebar penetrated his body."
He said the 30x50 section of rebar caging -- meant to be the base of a floor -- was about four feet off the ground with workers under it when it somehow shifted and came down on them.
The worker, who has not been named, was trapped under the iron and firefighters had to use a heavy mechanical saw to free him. Richard said the worker was alert and conscious when he was rescued but very seriously injured.
"I heard a big thud sound and that's when I heard yelling and it got louder," Jasmine Powell said. "Then I heard screaming and running around."
About 20 other workers were in the area but weren't harmed.
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