Passaic City Police and Fire officials confirmed that the body found
near the Union Avenue Bridge in Rutherford belongs to the bridge
inspector missing since Monday.
The body of Efrain Grajeda was found Wednesday, city officials said.
Crews have been searching for Grajeda since Monday. Grajeda, an
employee of TranSystems of Missouri, was inspecting a bridge over the
Weasel Brook in Passaic when a sudden storm flooded the waterway.
"Our first thoughts are with Efrain's family," TranSystems said in a
statement. "We express our heartfelt sympathy to them, his colleagues,
and the many people whose lives he touched in his professional and
personal life."
The company said it was cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
He was swept away by the fast-rising water, authorities said. Search
and rescue crews battled difficult conditions Monday and Tuesday while
they combed a swath of the Passaic River.
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Man swept away by floods still missing 24 hours later
JUNE 16, 2015
PASSAIC, NJ
More than 24 hours later, rescuers still haven't spotted the bridge inspector swept away by flood waters Monday.
Crews from more than a dozen emergency organizations continued to
comb an area of the Passaic River from Market Street to Union Avenue and
in canals underneath city streets on Tuesday despite "extreme
conditions, Fire Chief Patrick Trentacost said.
"Our operation relies on visibility," he said. "Due to the weather
conditions and rain and flood waters, we have zero visibility."
Two men working for Missouri-based TranSystem were inspecting a
bridge over the Weasel Brook on Monday afternoon when a sudden storm
surprised them, according to officials.
The Weasel Brook, a canal that runs from Clifton underneath many
Passaic streets before emptying into the Passaic River, is normally 6 to
8 inches deep, but approached 12 feet Monday.
Passaic's streets drain into the canal, and the waterway can become dangerous within seconds, Trentacost said.
"I could tell you from my experience, during a downpour such as we
had yesterday, that water can go from 6 to 7 inches to 4 or 5 feet
within two to three minutes, if not faster, and the first wave knocks
you off your feet," he said.
Passersby rescued one of the inspectors but couldn't reach the other
in time, Trentacost said. Despite the efforts of as many as 80 emergency
responders and up to 12 boats on the water from local, county and state
organizations, rescuers still haven't located the missing man.
The man, whom officials have declined to identify in deference to his
family, was not wearing a life jacket, Trentacost said. He wore a
safety vest and waders.
The state Department of Transportation hired TranSystems as part of its bridge and tunnel inspection program, officials said.
DOT spokesman Steve Schapiro said the work was part of a regular inspection of county bridges conducted every two years.
The missing contractor was wearing the proper safety gear for the work, Schapiro added.
Rescuers found the man's helmet and two flashlight about a mile away
from where he entered the water, Trentacost said. Boats will remain on
the water until nightfall, and teams have been descending into the
canals through manhole covers to look for the man.
The protocol for search and rescue is the same, whether crews are looking for a survivor or a body, Trentacost said.
"We are all hoping and praying that we have a good outcome here, but
we will continue to follow our protocol to the best of our ability," he
said.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident, an agency spokeswoman said.
Calls and emails to the TranSystems corporate office went unanswered Tuesday afternoon.