BOSTON (WHDH) - Family and friends are mourning a “good-natured” man who died while working on First Night setup in Copley Square over the weekend.
Construction worker Brandon McSweeney was installing a lighting tower for United Stage and Rigging when a 3,500-pound ballast fell from a forklift and landed on his chest, officials said.
“He was a good-natured man of quiet strength, solid intelligence, and perpetual kindness. His loving presence will sorely be missed,” the McSweeney family said in a statement.
Richard Wood, McSweeney’s former boss, is remembering the 34-year-old as responsible, smart and safety conscious.
“I’m still a little bit in shock,” Wood said. “Boston lost a really good person and the Boston theater community and the entertainment industry lost a really good person.”
Mayor Martin J. Walsh called McSweeney’s death a cloud over this year’s First Night celebration.
“This is a horrible, tragic accident,” he said. “I want to people to keep Brandon’s family in your thoughts and prayers and his co-workers in your thoughts and prayers.”
Wednesday’s celebration will go on as planned but OSHA is investigating if there were any violations of workplace safety standards.
McSweeney’s family has set up a GoFundMe page to help establish a scholarship in the victim’s name.
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