Crane collapses on Pinellas County condo building, prompts evacuation: Officials

CLEARWATER, Fla. - A crane tipped over onto a building at Crystal Bay Condos at Feather Sound on Tuesday, according to officials.

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First responders say they are unsure why the crane tipped over at 2333 Feather Sound Dr in Pinellas County. No injuries have been reported, according to St. Petersburg Fire Rescue.

Authorities say the crane, which collapsed at around 9:30 a.m., has been secured, and the driver got out safely.

After nearly four hours of trying to remove the crane, crews said the two additional cranes they brought to get the initial crane out were too small for the job.

They said they plan to bring different cranes Wednesday morning.

The condo website has a roofing update that was posted on Dec. 12, stating that a crane would be moved to the East end to begin "tear off" on Dec. 14.

St. Pete Fire Rescue issued voluntary evacuations Tuesday night for residents in the building the crane collapsed on and the building next to it, which is close to 400 people. The crane company offered to reimburse residents who wanted to stay at a hotel Tuesday night.

"I walked down my hallway on my balcony and saw this huge crane, and all these guys down there and all of a sudden, they're telling him to ‘stop, stop, stop,’ and the crane started lifting, and the guy is still in it, and it lifted all the way up, and he was up in the air, and it went smash, and the whole place just shook like a bomb fell or something," Kimberly Jenkins, who lives in the building, said.

Adam Bild, the attorney for the Crystal Bay Condo Association, said the crane was loading materials onto the roof for a roof replacement project. 

"The crane exceeded its ability to lift and tipped over," he said. "I don’t know if it was weight or just the operation of the crane itself. It was also pretty windy this morning and that could have played a contributing factor, but one way or another, the crane that had all wheels on the ground is halfway up in the air right now," Bild said.

St. Pete Fire Rescue said it inspected the fire alarms and fire sprinklers and found no deficiencies. Residents were allowed back inside the buildings temporarily Tuesday afternoon after St. Pete Fire Rescue’s Fire Rescue’s inspection.

They were then evacuated again before the removal process that started around two p.m. and drew a crowd for most of the day. Crews brought in two other cranes and a ladder fire truck to try to remove it. 

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"In general, crane operators are licensed. They have training that's pretty significant in nature," Bild said. "This is a crane company that's been around for a significant amount of time, and although we haven't had any time for any investigation, I would understand that their licensed crane operators are working on it."

A spokesperson for Ameri-Tech Community Management, which runs the condo complex, said Quality Roofing was conducting the project. John Garrison, Vice President of Quality Roofing, said they contracted Beyel Brothers Crane and Rigging to deliver supplies for the project. 

"As devastating as an event like this is, having no injuries is wonderful," Bild said. "So, we're very relieved that there are no injuries and we're excited to get the crane removed and everyone's lives in the building back to normal as quickly as possible."

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A spokesperson for Pinellas County said one of its building inspectors was on site around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, and a structural engineer from the property’s management group was also on site performing an assessment of the structure. 

The county’s Building and Development Review Services Department will have more information when the assessment is complete.

Bild said the county’s inspector and an engineer from the property’s management group said the buildings are structurally sound. The damage is minimal and addressable, Bild said. 

The removal process will start again at 9 a.m. on Wednesday with new cranes. SPFR will evacuate both buildings again before the removal process. 

FOX 13 reached out to Beyel Brothers and is waiting to hear back.