Suffolk County Police Fourth Squad detectives are investigating the death of a construction worker who died from apparent carbon monoxide poisoning while at a residential job site this afternoon in Fort Salonga.
Victor Irizarry, an employee of Suffolk Excavating, was working for approximately 15 minutes to remove silt from the bottom of a drainage pipe approximately 10 feet into the ground at 92 Fort Salonga Road when he stopped responding to co-workers at approximately 2:35 p.m. A co-worker attempted to go down the pipe to rescue Irizarry, but felt burning in his nose and throat, forcing him to exit the pipe.
The Kings Park Fire Department responded to the location and found carbon monoxide levels to be dangerously high. Firefighters were able to pull Irizarry from the pipe.
Irizarry, 30, of Flanders, was transported to St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown where he was pronounced dead. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was notified and is investigating.
