Accident at Winter Garden

Oh my God, horrible!

I hate that they reduce them down to just "a stagehand." Hope a proper memorial is held soon.

well, there are a number of our colleagues here who can explain in more detail if needed but "fly" refers to the rigging system above the stage by which scenic elements (etc) are "flown" onto the stage. So a fly floor is the surface on which one stands to access the fly.

Hogan, so is the fly floor , a small surface in which one stands? How high above the stage? A safety belt/harness required? Thanks for the info.

ArtMan said: "Hogan, so is the fly floor , a small surface in which one stands? How high above the stage? A safety belt/harness required? Thanks for the info."

Here's a decent illustration of a fly floor. They are usually 50+ feet above the stage, and yes fall protection equipment is usually required when up there.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/428756826998718637/

I don’t know if anyone will take comfort from this, but a fall from that high would have killed the stagehand instantly. At least they didn’t suffer.

Updated On: 11/12/20 at 05:08 PM

Alex, the news report says he died at the hospital.

From what I am hearing, he fell from the grid, essentially the highest place in the theater, directly above the stage. There are not a lot of places you can fall from, but the ladder well is one of them. Maybe he missed a rung on the ladder. Tripped? Had a heart attack?

Yes.

The articles talking about the stagehand retrieving "props" makes zero sense. People are just throwing out terms they've heard.There are two "fly floors" in most theaters. Think of them as lofts on either side of the stage in the wings. One is for electrics, the other is for scenery. It is usually about 50 feet in the air, but there's a rail and it is not easy to fall from.

Above that is the grid, and Winter Garden has one of the highest. The grid spans the width of the stage. You can see the stage through the slats, which is disconcerting, but again, little chance of falling and also again, people do not wear harnesses up there - not yet, anyway.

Awful any way you look at it.

There was a crew there. Head gear would not have mattered at all.The grid at the Winter Garden is one of the highest that Broadway has, somewhere around 90 feet.

The stagehand's name is known. It's a large family. Most have been notified.

Thanks, Ghost. I'm shutting down my curiosity now, out of respect.

Fosse76 said: "ghostlight2 said: "Alex, the news report says he died at the hospital."

Actually, the article stated he was pronounced dead at the hospital. That doesn't mean he didn't die on the scene. Generally, only a physician or nurse can pronounce a death (it varies by state). Since they usually don't get dispatched to the scene, the pronouncement doesn't happen until they arrive at the hospital."

EMTs (and others who are not doctors) can pronounce in New York. In the early days of the pandemic, some deceased people were taken by EMTs directly from home to the refrigerated morgue trucks after they pronounced.

ETA: He could have been dead but EMTs are trained to continue efforts until certain protocols have been followed. The hospital was close by, so it is entirely possible they had not given up.

ETA #2: The Times report clarifies (a) that it was indeed a ladder (from the fly floor) and (b) that he was doing routine maintenance.

Updated On: 11/13/20 at 04:12 PM