Man dies at Quincy data center site

Cause of death yet to be verified

QUINCY — A 31-year-old Richland man fell to his death Tuesday while working at the building site for Microsoft Corp.'s new data center.

Travis L. Watts was laying roof decking when he fell approximately 35 feet to the ground at about 12:30 p.m., according to Chief Deputy Coroner Lynette Henson.

Henson said Watts was restrained before he fell, and landed on soft dirt.

He lost consciousness after hitting the ground, but never recovered, she said.

Watts was transported to Quincy Valley Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

The Quincy Police Department is not investigating the apparent accident.

Elaine Fischer, a spokesperson for the state Department of Labor and Industries, said they had field investigators on the scene yesterday. She said it was too early in their investigation to provide additional details about the accident.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration will not be investigating the accident, said spokesperson Jeannine Lupton in Seattle. Though the accident is outside of their jurisdiction, she said, they plan to follow the incident.

Lupton said the state labor and industries would be the lead investigation agency.

Henson has transported Watts to the Grant County Forensic Institute in Moses Lake where an autopsy will take place on Friday to verify the cause of death.

Microsoft broke ground at the construction site on May 30. The site, selected from hundreds around the world, will be the location for Microsoft's largest ever data center.

— Staff report