Columbus police are continuing an investigation into the death of an out-of-state roofing worker who fell through a skylight in the roof at Sam’s Club Tuesday.
Bartholomew County Coroner Clayton Nolting identified the worker as Pedro Gonzalez, 42, West Chester, Ohio, who was an employee of an industrial roofing company based either in West Chester or Cincinnati.
There was believed to be at least one other worker on the roof when the incident occurred at about 2:19 p.m. Tuesday at Sam’s Club, 2715 Merchants Mile, Nolting said.
Investigators believe Gonzalez was standing up near the skylight and slipped, falling through the skylight to the Sam’s Club floor below, but an investigation is continuing by a Columbus police detective as to how the incident happened.
Nolting said that the fall from the skylight was 27 feet, and said the manner of death is pending as the coroner’s office waits for toxicology results.
Gonzalez was found toward the back of Sam’s Club on the floor near the bakery area, investigators said. There were customers in the store when Gonzalez fell.
Lifesaving efforts were undertaken immediately, including CPR, but Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the scene. X-rays indicated that Gonzalez suffered multiple fractures to the skull and cervical spine in the incident, according to Nolting.
