OTISCO TOWNSHIP, MICH. - An employee at an Ionia County fruit company fell 20 feet to his death in what police call a work accident Saturday morning.
Arturo "Sam" Medina, a 62-year-old Gowen resident, was working to change light bulbs in a cooling room around 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Belding Fruit Storage facility, according to an Ionia County Sheriff's Department news release.
Standing inside an apple crate, Medina was lifted up to the ceiling by a forklift controlled by a co-worker. He was raised to a height of about 20 feet before the bottom of the rotted crate gave way, causing the crate to tip over and Medina to fall.
Police say he was not wearing a safety harness or hard hat.
Medina was a 38-year employee of the facility. Officials are working to have grief counseling services available to family and co-workers.
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or MIOSHA, was called and responded to the scene to investigate.