Gas well worker killed by heavy equipment at Smyrna drilling site
SMYRNA – A 23-year-old gas well worker died Sunday following a drilling site accident in Smyrna.
The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office reported Charles Bevins III of West Virginia, who worked for Braden Drilling, a Norse Energy contractor, was fatally injured at about 9 a.m. Sunday at a drilling site along State Highway 80, near the intersection of Stowell Road, in the Town of Smyrna.
Mr. Bevins was transported by Cooperstown Medical Transport to the Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, where he later died during surgery.
“Bevins was helping direct the forklift operator when the forklift rolled into a rut and pinned him against the equipment,” stated the Sheriff’s Office.
“We want to extend condolences to the family for these unfortunate circumstances,” said Norse Energy Executive Vice President Dennis Holbrook Monday. “My empathy goes out to their loved ones. I have children about that age myself and the incident has made me personally upset.”
Holbrook said the crew was in the process preparing the site for drilling operations into the Herkimer Shale, but they had not yet begun to remove any natural gas. He said the forklift was moving a set of heavy steps used to access the crew’s onsite mobile living trailer when the accident occurred. The ground at the work site was wet and muddy Sunday, reported police.
“Unfortunately anytime you’re working with heavy machinery or have construction activity going on, there is always a risk,” said Holbrook.
Work at the site has been halted while the company prepares an incident report for the Department of Environmental Conservation, scheduled to be delivered Tuesday. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office have also launched investigations into the accident.
Holbrook said Norse Energy first contracted with Braden Drilling, from Buckhannon, West Virginia, this past November.
The Smyrna Fire Department also responded to the scene. An autopsy was conducted on Monday at the Onondaga County Forensic Sciences Building, but the results are pending.
The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office reported Charles Bevins III of West Virginia, who worked for Braden Drilling, a Norse Energy contractor, was fatally injured at about 9 a.m. Sunday at a drilling site along State Highway 80, near the intersection of Stowell Road, in the Town of Smyrna.
Mr. Bevins was transported by Cooperstown Medical Transport to the Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, where he later died during surgery.
“Bevins was helping direct the forklift operator when the forklift rolled into a rut and pinned him against the equipment,” stated the Sheriff’s Office.
“We want to extend condolences to the family for these unfortunate circumstances,” said Norse Energy Executive Vice President Dennis Holbrook Monday. “My empathy goes out to their loved ones. I have children about that age myself and the incident has made me personally upset.”
Holbrook said the crew was in the process preparing the site for drilling operations into the Herkimer Shale, but they had not yet begun to remove any natural gas. He said the forklift was moving a set of heavy steps used to access the crew’s onsite mobile living trailer when the accident occurred. The ground at the work site was wet and muddy Sunday, reported police.
“Unfortunately anytime you’re working with heavy machinery or have construction activity going on, there is always a risk,” said Holbrook.
Work at the site has been halted while the company prepares an incident report for the Department of Environmental Conservation, scheduled to be delivered Tuesday. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office have also launched investigations into the accident.
Holbrook said Norse Energy first contracted with Braden Drilling, from Buckhannon, West Virginia, this past November.
The Smyrna Fire Department also responded to the scene. An autopsy was conducted on Monday at the Onondaga County Forensic Sciences Building, but the results are pending.
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