A local man was rescued after being pinned under a five-ton beam while providing construction services at Waters Church in Sartell.
On Sept. 20, at approximately 11 a.m., the Stearns County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a medical emergency at the Waters Church, which is just outside of Sartell. The caller reported a man was injured and his legs were pinned underneath a beam.
When Stearns County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Sartell Police Department officers arrived, they found a man identified as Jesus Adrian Garza, 32, of Willmar, pinned underneath a large steel structural beam which was 74 feet long and weighed approximately 10,000 pounds. Garza was part of a contracted company doing work on the church which included removing the beam from the building. They were working on lowering the beam slowly using jacks and cribbing which were holding each end of the beam. Garza was operating a sky jack scissor lift near the beam and was adjusting the cribbing as the beam was being lowered. The beam became unstable and fell onto Garza’s legs, pinning him on top of the scissor lift. Sartell Fire/Rescue responded, and with the help of the contracting crew they were able to free Garza from the beam. He was transported by Mayo Ambulance to the St. Cloud Hospital for treatment of his injuries.
The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Sartell Police Department, Sartell Fire Department and Mayo Ambulance Service.
