Brother: Man killed in scaffold fall was a ‘funny, super chill guy’
Family says David O’Donnell and another injured worker were untethered, unharnessed
Patrick O’Donnell last saw his brother David four days before the construction incident that took his life.
Their nephew was being baptized in Tinley Park, so Patrick O’Donnell flew in from Colorado. He and his brother, who lived in Oak Forest, spent time catching up, talking about music. Patrick O’Donnell told his brother how sharp he looked for the baptism.
It was one of the last things he said to him. About 11:45 a.m. Thursday, David O’Donnell, 27, and a co-worker plunged from scaffolding set up at a University of Chicago construction site. The other worker was listed in critical condition after the fall, according to Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Larry Langford and Chicago police.
Patrick O’Donnell told the Sun-Times his brother and the injured worker weren’t tethered or harnessed while working on a blustery day in Hyde Park. Fire officials say they didn’t find any tethering or harness on the workers after the incident.
“It’s been a whirlwind and super tough,” Patrick O’Donnell said Friday. “We loved David to death.”
The workers “appeared to have fallen nine stories” to the basement level of the construction site, Langford said. Rescuers secured the injured worker in a stretcher, and a crane lifted him to ground level.
The men were at the University of Chicago Cancer Center construction site in the 5600 block of South Drexel Avenue, according to officials.
Patrick O’Donnell said he was in “utter shock, disbelief,” when told of the accident. “Just sadness, anger — I mean, I still can’t believe it, to be honest.”
In a statement, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it is investigating and OSHA inspectors have arrived on site. The injured man worked for New Horizon Steel, while David O’Donnell worked for Hi-Tech Stake-Out, his family’s business.
Other companies on site were Turner Construction, the general contractor for the project; and Adjustable Concrete Construction, which erected the scaffolding.
New Horizon Steel has no prior OSHA history and Turner has no OSHA history within Illinois in the last five years, according to OSHA.
“This is an extremely sad day. Our hearts are broken, and we extend our thoughts and prayers to their family members, friends, and colleagues at this extremely difficult time,” Turner Construction said in a statement.
“The safety and well being of everyone on our sites is so important to us. We work extremely hard to prevent days like this and we have halted all construction activity.”
New Horizon Steel issued a statement saying it “was thankful” the injured worker’s condition reportedly had stabilized and he was expected to make a full recovery.
“We are devastated by the incident that took place and the tragic loss of life of an employee on the project, who was not employed by New Horizon Steel but by another contractor,” the company said. “We are currently investigating the cause of the incident to ensure something like this never happens again.”
Growing up
The four O’Donnell brothers grew up in Oak Forest. David and Patrick, the two in the middle, and played on the same team in the Oak Forest Baseball Association and did all sorts of other sports and activities, said Patrick O’Donnell.
Baseball was a way to “share victory and loss together,” he added.
“It was just irreplaceable, [being] able to watch my brother compete and then being
able to get that motivation to compete beside him,” said Patrick O’Donnell, who at 26 was a year younger. “David was an awesome pitcher,” he added, with “quite the fastball.”
David O’Donnell also enjoyed golf, snowboarding, camping and listening to music. He especially loved the reggae band Rebelution, and often listened to the light, slightly uptempo “Feeling Alright.” The 2007 song resonated with the two brothers and their close friends.
“We all enjoyed that song,” Patrick O’Donnell said. “It’s just a song about, you know, just relax and enjoy the moment. And just to know that no matter what’s going on, you can take a minute to look at your situation and reflect and be happy.”
He called his brother a “funny, super chill guy but someone who wasn’t to be messed with.” His hair, blonde when he was young, turned brown over the years. He had a vibrant laugh, Patrick O’Donnell said, and a “beautiful” smile.
David O’Donnell had worked in technical engineering with his father and uncle for about nine years at Hi-Tech Stake-Out, an engineering firm specializing in construction layout and staking services, his brother said.
“He was just content ... creating a life for himself in Chicago,” Patrick O’Donnell said. “He aspired to be a good person and enjoy life.’’