ARLINGTON — The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the man who fell to his death from a cellphone tower near Arlington on Saturday.
Michael Vasquez, 24, of Las Vegas, had been working on a Crown Castle cellphone tower in the 11000 block of 228th Street NE.
He fell about 140 feet just after 1:30 p.m. Saturday, said Snohomish County Fire District 21 Chief Chad Schmidt.
Vasquez died from blunt-force injuries, according to the medical examiner’s office. His death was classified as an accident.
The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office was investigating the death.
A spokesperson for the state Department of Labor and Industries did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
Work has been suspended at the site where Vasquez died, according to Crown Castle.
According to his LinkedIn page, Vasquez served in the U.S. Marine Corps for almost four years. He was an electrician there. He started in June at Broken Arrow Communications, also known as Bacom.
His resume listed certificates in rigging, climbing and rescue training.
Bacom released a statement to WirelessEstimator.com, an industry news site covering communication towers.
“On December 4th, an employee of Bacom lost his life following a fall from a communications tower near Arlington, WA. Our highest priority is the health and safety of our employees, and while it is too soon to say what caused this incident, the company is working with state and local authorities to determine what happened. Our thoughts and prayers are with the worker’s family and friends during this difficult time.”
A spokesperson for Crown Castle wrote in an email Tuesday, “We are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of a member of the tower community and our thoughts are with his family, friends, colleagues, and the entire Arlington Heights community.”
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