Man Dies at Construction Site While Grandfather Was Drilling

"At some point, we don't know logistically how it happened, but the 22-year old fell in the hole and the grandfather did not clearly see that," police said at a press conference

Digital News Writer, PEOPLE

A man has died following a drilling incident at a Texas construction site, according to authorities.

Investigators say a 22-year-old man died Wednesday morning when a drill being operated by his grandfather was lowered into a hole at a construction site in Spring while he was inside, according to NBC affiliate KPRC-TV.

Harris County Constable deputies responded to the scene along with EMS and Fire officials, according to a post on Constable Mark Herman's Facebook page.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Herman said the victim "was killed almost instantly" by the drill bit, per KPRC-TV and CBS affiliate KHOU.

Herman told reporters the grandfather was unaware that his grandson was in the hole at the industrial construction site when he lowered the drill inside, per KHOU.

"At some point, we don't know logistically how it happened, but the 22-year old fell in the hole and the grandfather did not clearly see that, and he was killed by the drill bit," Herman said.

"It's very tragic and appears to be an accident," the constable told reporters, per KPRC-TV.

No other injuries were sustained, according to the Spring Fire Department, which confirmed the victim's death in a post shared Wednesday on Facebook.

It is unclear how the victim first got in the hole.

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Firefighters from stations in Spring and Woodlands helped Spring Fire's rescue team shore up the collapsed hole in order to "recover the construction worker's body," the Spring Fire Department said in Wednesday's post.

Herman said the grandfather and grandson, neither of whom have been identified, were independent contractors for Groundhog Foundation Drilling, a company hired by Rosenberger Construction, according to KPRC-TV.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which is investigating the incident, told KTRK-TV that Groundhog Foundation Drilling is a subcontractor for DMAC Construction.

It is unclear if the grandfather and grandson were both employed by Groundhog Foundation Drilling.

The three companies did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's requests for comment.

An investigation is ongoing.