Man survives 20-foot fall at Fashion Island

It does not appear a construction worker was seriously injured after falling down a one- to two-story deep hole in a Newport Beach shopping center, state officials said Tuesday.

A construction worker for Largo Concrete Inc. was working on a cement wall for Fashion Island’s new 85,000-square-foot structure near the Atrium Court on Monday when he fell between 20 and 25 feet, Newport Beach fire officials said.

The man, whom construction workers declined to identify, was taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, but it doesn’t appear he was admitted for any visible injuries, said Kate McGuire, a spokeswoman for the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

Just before 3 p.m., the man fell into the hole, the size of an underground parking structure, and landed squarely on his back, said Capt. Chad Ponegalek of the Newport Beach Fire Department.

Workers told state officials the hole was only 10 to 12 feet deep, McGuire said.

“There was a whole bunch of metal and rebar in the area,” Ponegalek said. “If he had landed on that, it would have been really bad luck.”

The worker was securely fastened to a 2-by-6 wood board that was part of the hole’s supporting structure, and when he fell, the piece could not hold him and broke loose, Ponegalek said.

Medics descended into the massive hole to tend to the worker. He was wearing his helmet when he fell, officials said.

Firefighters used one of their ladder trucks as a type of crane, extending it well out over the hole, then lowering a Stokes Basket for medics to put the man on.

Firefighters then pulled the man up and reeled him in. He was taken to Western Medical Center and complained of back pain, Ponegalek said.

State officials will continue to monitor the incident, but will not investigate unless the man complains of any injuries or is hospitalized later.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at [email protected].