A masonry worker doing repairs at an elementary school in Waukegan died Saturday after falling down a chimney shaft, authorities said.
The incident happened around 10:15 a.m. Saturday at Whittier Elementary School, located at 901 North Lewis Avenue in Waukegan.
Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek identified the victim as Brian Cotter, 47, of Oak Lawn.
Cotter was working with a crew doing tuckpointing, according to Waukegan Fire Department Deputy Chief Todd Zupec.
Cotter fell approximately 35 feet down the chimney shaft of the school building. Authorities did not say what caused the man to fall.
Firefighters removed Cotter from the base of the chimney and paramedics transported him to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan.
Cotter was pronounced dead around 12 p.m. Saturday, Banek said. He died from multiple blunt force injuries, an autopsy confirmed.
Waukegan School District 60 spokesman Nicholas Alajakis told the Chicago Tribune that Cotter was working for a company contracted to do exterior repair and tuckpointing.
“We would like to express our deepest condolences and prayers to the family of our Union brother Brian Cotter,” Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers District Council 1 of Illinois said in a statement.
Cotter leaves behind a wife and two children, ages 14 and 9. A family member of Cotter said the man “regularly worked 70-80 hours per week in order to provide for his family.”