Machine operator accidentally kills grandson who was inside hole at warehouse construction site in Spring, Precinct 4 says

SPRING, Texas – A family is mourning, and an investigation is underway after authorities said a man accidentally caused his grandson’s death at a construction site in Spring Wednesday morning.

The fatal accident happened around 10 a.m. at an industrial warehouse site in the 22600 block of the North Freeway and Grand Parkway.

According to investigators, a machine operator put a boring bit down into a hole, unaware that anyone was inside it at the time.

“We had a drilling operator that appears to have been drilling a hole for construction and he had his 22-year-old grandson with him and, at some point, the grandson either fell in - we don’t know how he got in the hole - but he ended up going in the hole and he was killed almost instantly,” Constable Mark Herman said.

Herman said the grandfather and grandson were working together as independent contractors for a company named Groundhog Foundation Drilling. The company was hired by Rosenberger Construction.

He said the grandfather was operation equipment and drilling a hole when the accident happened.

“I don’t want to get into the logistics of it, but the drill ended up killing him,” Herman said. “It’s very tragic and appears to be an accident.”

The Spring Fire Department’s rescue team, assisted by firefighters from Spring and The Woodlands, were trying to secure the hole so they could remove the man’s body.

The victim’s identity has not been released.

OSHA is also investigating and interviewing witnesses.