Construction Worker Dies; Carbon Monoxide Suspected

A construction worker died Tuesday after he was pulled from 10-foot hole at the bottom of a drainage pipe in Fort Salonga, Suffolk County police said.

The man died from apparent carbon monoxide poisoning, police said.

Victor Irizarry, an employee of Suffolk Excavating, was working for  about 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.

A co-worker attempted to rescue Irizarry, but felt burning in his nose and throat, forcing him to exit the pipe.

The Kings Park Fire Department responded and found carbon monoxide levels dangerously high. Firefighters were able to pull Irizarry from the pipe.

Irizarry, 30, of Flanders, was pronounced dead at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was notified and is investigating.

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