Ironworkers’ union identifies man killed and two presumed dead in Grays Ferry garage collapse
The ironworker killed and two others who were presumed dead after a Grays Ferry parking garage collapsed earlier this week have been identified.
Crews continued their search Saturday for two missing ironworkers trapped in the rubble of a Grays Ferry parking garage that collapsed earlier this week.
Philadelphia’s Ironworkers Union Local 401 identified the men as Matthew Kane and Mark Scott Jr. early Saturday in a social media post, which has since been edited to omit their names. Another man, who was pulled from the debris and died at a hospital, was identified as Stepan Shevchuk. All three were members of the union.
A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health — which houses the Medical Examiner’s Office — did not immediately respond to an email seeking more information. Union leaders could not be immediately reached for additional comment via phone or email.
The seven-level structure under construction at 30th Street and Grays Ferry Avenue partially collapsed Wednesday about 2:15 p.m., when a precast concrete roof segment “failed” and fell, echoing through the neighborhood like a crack of thunder.
“This unthinkable tragedy has devastated our local union and the families of both the victims and survivors,“ the original post read. ”We’ve lost three loved and respected members of our 401 family and wait in anticipation to bring our Brothers home.”
Demolition is necessary for two reasons: to prevent further collapse of the structure and to find the missing workers. What’s left of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia garage is extremely weakened and “could collapse at any moment," officials have warned.
“This process has been slow and painstaking, but necessary,” the union’s post said. “We ask that you respect the authorities and agencies that are involved as they are trying to recover our Brothers as safely, dignified and respectfully as possible.”
After a day of preparations, a wrecking ball began swinging at the garage early Saturday, sending dust flying and chipping away chunks of what was once meant to be the roof of the garage. By noon, the first slabs of concrete fell. A few hours later, one side of the building had been sheared off.
Tara Furrule, 39, and her fiancé Mitchell St. Louis, 37, were on their morning coffee run when they passed by the garage to pray.
“It is an overwhelming tragedy and the loss of lives makes it even more unsettling,” Furrule said. “The workers dying is crazy; it’s hard not to think about them. I’m at a loss for words.”
For St. Louis, the pain is deeper. As a residential project manager, he has construction workers under his charge: “I think about my people, their safety is number one … and what I have to do to make sure every one of my guys out there is going to make it home everyday.”
Lamont Cooper, 24, who works at a nearby auto repair facility, watched in disbelief as the wrecking ball persistently cracked the concrete. His mind fixed on the two people trapped.
“I know they said they can’t go in to get [them], but the city should remember they have people that love them,” he said.
“Making more concrete come down on them like this doesn’t feel right.”
It’s unclear how long the deconstruction may take; crews may also have to hand-dig to find the missing men, officials have said.
» READ MORE: The city hosted a community meeting for Grays Ferry neighbors near the garage collapse
“The work to bring this structure down safely has already begun,” Mayor Cherelle L. Parker told a 35-person forum at Vare Recreation Center. “This marks a critical transition … from response to recovery. Our priority remains unchanged — to recover the missing individuals with the greatest amount of dignity and respect humanly possible.“
Parker has promised a thorough investigation into what caused the garage to collapse. The garage — meant for hospital workers to more easily drive to work — proved controversial and was scrutinized for its scale; the building would be by far the largest new freestanding garage built in recent Philadelphia history.
Longtime resident Pat McCormick, 70, who watched the demolition from 30th and Wharton Streets, viewed its construction as a neighborhood improvement.
“Developments like this are good for the neighborhood, it connects us with University City,” McCormick said. “But somebody made a big mistake here.”
McCormick added: “They are trying their best; it’s a terrible accident, but people did die here.”
Staff writer William Bender contributed to this article.
