Tyrone Smith, 66, died Monday after a construction accident left him in a retention pond at a worksite in Davie, Florida. The incident happened at a construction site in the 2200 block of Shotgun Road, east of the I-75 interchange with Royal Palm Boulevard.
Davie police were called to the site after receiving a report of a possible drowning. When officers and rescue crews arrived, they found an excavator submerged in the retention pond. Rescuers located Smith in the water and pulled him out.
Davie Fire Rescue officials said Smith was in cardiac arrest when rescuers found him. He was taken to Broward Health Medical Center for treatment, but he later died at the hospital.
Police said Tuesday that the incident appeared to be accidental. The circumstances surrounding how the excavator ended up in the pond remain under investigation. The Davie Police Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are both investigating the workplace accident.
A representative for Downright Engineering confirmed that Smith worked for the company and was married. The company is also conducting its own investigation into what happened at the construction site.
Downright Engineering has declined to provide additional comments while the investigation continues. No further details have been released about what caused the excavator to become submerged or exactly how Smith ended up in the water.
Smith’s death has now left his wife, family, friends and coworkers dealing with a loss that came without warning. He was at work when the accident happened, and what began as an ordinary workday ended with his death.
For the people who knew Smith, the investigation will not change the fact that someone they knew and loved is gone. His wife and other loved ones are now left with memories of the man they knew away from the construction site, while authorities work to determine exactly what happened that afternoon.
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