STAUNTON, Ohio — Following the deaths of two Fayette County firefighters, investigators have released additional details surrounding the incident.
On Nov. 25, 2023, Fire Chief Ralph Stegbauer and Fire Captain Jeffery Skaggs of the Concord-Green Township Fire Department died after the mechanical lift they were using to repair a radio tower tipped over.
What investigators learned
According to Fayette County Sheriff Vernon Stanforth, Stegbauer and Skaggs had initially ascended to the top of the radio tower outside the fire station to remove an old antenna, the Wilmington News Journal reports. They planned to return to install a windsock, a tool used to indicate wind speed and direction for medical helicopters landing in emergencies.
However, as they descended with the antenna, the lift, which had been positioned on a trailer, lost stability and toppled over.
“The lift was designed with an extremely heavy base, thousands of pounds, to counterbalance the weight of the lift,” Stanforth explained. “If it had been on the ground, the movement of the lift arm would have been counterbalanced. But I think because it was sitting on the trailer, the lift had no mechanism to counter the trailer movement and the trailer couldn’t counter the lift movement. Even a minor shift would cause that lift to slide off the trailer, and we believe that’s basically what happened.”
Investigators estimate the two firefighters fell approximately 30 to 40 feet. Fayette County Coroner Dr. Lenora Fitton pronounced both men dead at the scene.
Original story below:
By Bill Carey
FireRescue1
STAUNTON, Ohio — Two Fayette County firefighters have died after the mechanical lift they were in overturned on Nov. 25.
The accident occurred outside the Concord-Green Township Fire Department in the Village of Staunton, WBNS reported. Fire Chief Ralph Stegbauer and Fire Captain Jeffery Skaggs were using the lift to make repairs to the radio tower.
The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office’s initial investigation states that the lift tipped over, ejecting both of them from the basket while several feet in the air, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office crash reconstruction team is assisting the sheriff’s office investigation.
The Concord-Green Fire Department has been taken out of service. The neighboring fire departments are covering calls for service.
This article, originally published on Nov. 27, 2023, has been updated with additional information regarding the incident.
