Worker's death first on-job fatality for Fayetteville PWC in decades

A Fayetteville Public Works Commission worker died Tuesday while making repairs near an earthen dam damaged by Hurricane Matthew, authorities said.
Posted 11/29/2016, 11:27:11 PM Updated 9/23/2025, 7:51:36 PM

FAYETTEVILLE CLAIMED THE LIFE

OF A PWC WORKER.

AUTHORITIES SAY THE VICTIM AND

THE BOBCAT HE WAS DRIVING FELL

OFF THE DAM AND INTO MCFADDEN

LAKE.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I'M LYNDA LOVELAND.

>> I'M GERALD OWENS.

THIS HAPPENED AROUND 11:15 THIS

MORNING ON OFFING DRIVE IN THE

WETTER'S EMSUBDIVISION.

THAT WHERE GILBERT BAEZ JOINS

US WITH NEW INFORMATION ABOUT

THE VICTIM.

>> Reporter: PWC JUST RELEASED

THE NAME OF THE VICTIM.

WE ARE TOLD EAST HE'S JAMES

IVY.

IS A 13 YEAR VETERAN OF THE

COMPANY AND ALSO A WATER

RESOURCES LEADER OUT HERE

WORKING ON THIS PROJECT THIS

MORNING WHEN THE ACCIDENT

OCCURRED.

THE CALL CAME IN ABOUT 11:15

THIS MORNING THAT A PWC WORKER

HAD FALLEN INTO MCFADDEN LAKE

WHILE OPERATING A BOBCAT.

WE ARE TOLD PWC WAS MAKING

REPAIRS FOR AN ELECTRICAL LINE

OR SEWER LINE THAT CROSSES THE

SIDE OF THE ROAD HERE THAT HAD

BEEN DAMAGED BY HURRICANE

MATTHEW.

NOW, I TALKED WITH A WORKER WHO

SAID THE EQUIPMENT DID NOT FALL

OFF THE DAM BUT SOMEHOW FLIPPED

INTO THE LAKE ON ITS SIDE.

FELLOW PWC WORKERS SCRAMBLED TO

GET HIM OUT BUT WE ARE TOLD HE

WAS PINNED UNDER THE WATER BY

THE HEAVY EQUIPMENT.

THE FIRST RESPOND ARE ARRIVED

MINUTES AFTER THE CALL WAS

SEPTEMBER IN BUT THEY FACED

SEVERAL CHALLENGE IS BEFORE

THEY COULD ENTER THE WATER AND

PULL THE VICTIM OUT.

>> THEY ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT

WHAT THE CURRENT OF THAT WATER

IS FLOWING AT THE TIME AS THEY

ARE ENTERING THE WATER.

THEY HAVE TO FACTOR THOSE

THINGS IN TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE

PUTTING THE CORRECT NUMBER OF

DIVERS INTO THE WATER.

THEY HAVE THE SUPPORT CREW ON

THE WATER TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE

NECESSITIES DURING THAT TIME

FRAME.

>> Reporter: THIS VERY QUICKLY

BECAME A RECOVERY OPERATION.

NOW, VERY DIFFICULT TASK OF

TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WENT

WRONG AND CAUSED THIS DEADLY

ACCIDENT.

OSHA IS OUT HERE INVESTIGATING

TRYING TO PIECE TOGETHER WHAT

HAPPENED.

SO IS PWC.

THEY ARE CONTINUING THEIR

INVESTIGATION AS WELL.

THEY HAVE SOME BUOY IS IN

MCFADDEN LAKE RIGHT NOW TO SOAK

UP ANY HYDRAULIC FUEL OR GAS

THAT MAY HAVE SPILLED.

WE ARE TOLD THAT WOULD BE

MINIMAL.

THEY HAVE LIGHTS SET UP HERE.

THIS INVESTIGATION WILL

PROBABLY GO ON WELL INTO THE

EVENING.

WE ARE TOLD THIS IS FIRST FATAL

ACCIDENT WITH PWC IN 50 YEARS.

>> SUCH A SAD STORY.

© WRAL