Man Dies After Fall from Ship in Oakland Port

A 77-year-old dock worker died after falling into the water from a cargo ship in the , the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard said Delmont Blakeney was overseeing the offloading of shipping containers from the ship NYK Starlight late Saturday night when he was knocked into the water.

A locking device came loose and caused a container to spin out of control. The container hit Blakeney and briefly pinned him against the rail of the ship before he tumbled into the water.

Pier workers pulled Blakeney out and performed CPR until paramedics arrived and took him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead, likely from drowning, the Coast Guard said.

Craig Merrilees, a spokesman for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, said this is the third death on the docks in the past year.

Merrilees said Blakeney spent 30 minutes in the water because there was no rescue equipment, such as ladders, available to the workers attempting the rescue.

Source:  AP