Authorities have identified the two New Jersey construction workers who plunged into the icy waters off Long Island when a drawbridge scaffolding collapsed on Wednesday, leaving one dead and the other still missing. The makeshift structure on the Loop Parkway drawbridge, which connects the Meadowbrook State Parkway to Long Beach, buckled just before noon and sent Kleiton de Madeiros, 39, and Diogo de Oliveira, 38, tumbling into the frigid waters of the Reynolds Channel, state police told multiple outlets.
De Madeiros, of Montclair, was pulled from the bay and rushed to a local hospital, where he later died, Newsday reported. Grieving family and friends in his native Brazil mourned him as a deeply caring figure. Junior Gonzaga, a family friend, wrote in an Instagram post that de Madeiros had taught him to drive, fish and ride a horse. The City Council of Dores do Indaia, the Brazilian municipality where de Madeiros' brother Keninho serves as a councilman, issued an official note of condolence announcing his death.S2
Search and rescue teams, including crews from Coast Guard Station Jones Beach and Air Station Cape Cod, continued the hunt on Thursday for de Oliveira, of Elizabeth. Six other construction workers were also injured in the collapse. State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said the agency is working with emergency responders at all levels of government and gathering details from a contractor to assist the investigation, adding that worker safety remains its top priority.S2
Both men were employed by private contractor Champion Painting, a DOT source told The Post. The firm is working under a $13.8 million contract for multi-location bridge painting and steel repairs, covering the Loop Parkway drawbridge over Long Creek in Hempstead along with three other sites. The Loop Parkway has required frequent updates and maintenance since its construction in 1934, and the work is scheduled for completion at the end of 2027. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration is opening a probe into the accident.S2
