A contractor working on an elevator in Queens fell five stories to his death Thursday morning when his harness apparently malfunctioned and he plummeted down the shaft, law enforcement sources tell NBC 4 New York.
The harness apparently malfunctioned as the 45-year-old man was working on the elevator from the fifth floor of what will become a new school on 42nd Street in Sunnyside. A man in his 30s working from the fourth floor was hit by debris as his colleague fell, but his harness held, law enforcement sources say.
Both men were taken to Elmhurst Hospital, where the older man was pronounced dead. The younger man was listed in stable condition.
They work for an elevator contracting company.
