Broadcast industry veterans reacted with dismay to news that Ernie Jones died in a tower elevator accident on an Oklahoma broadcast tower late Wednesday.
Jones, 65, was a founder of the structural firm Consolidated Engineering Inc. in Lynnville, Ind., which does engineering analyses and tower renovations in broadcast and telecom. He is survived by his wife Kathy and three children.
His business partner and longtime friend David Davies of CEI told Radio World that Jones died when the tower service elevator started back down while Jones was connected via lanyard to a member of the tower but was still in the cab. Jones was caught and pulled up to the elevator cab ceiling and asphyxiated before the elevator stopped from the tension. Davies said climbers hurried up the structure in hopes of rescue but to no avail. Davies said OSHA is investigating the accident.
