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Roofing Worker Falls Down Elevator Shaft, Dies In Mount Vernon

MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Mount Vernon police on Thursday were investigating an accident in which a worker fell to his death down an elevator shaft.

The 28-year-old New York City man, whose name has not been released, was doing roof work with four other men around 6:30 p.m. at 6 Gramatan Ave. in Mount Vernon, according to a city news release.

The man was apparently putting away his tools for the night when he fell through a screen covering the opening of the elevator shaft, and ended up landing on an elevator car several stories below, the city said.

The man's coworkers brought him back to the roof and paramedics came, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene, the city said.

The Mount Vernon Buildings Department had issued a permit to Global General Construction Inc. back on Oct. 24, for masonry pointing and brick and stone work and repair on the Gramatan Avenue building, the city said. A preliminary probe indicated that roof work was not supposed to be part of the job, the city said.

The Buildings Department issued a stop work order until the investigation is done, the city said.

"This is a tragic accident and our prayers go out to the family of the victim," Mount Vernon Mayor Ernest D. Davis said in the release.

Mount Vernon police and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration were investigating Thursday night.

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