Crime & Safety
Man Injured by Falling Quartz in Largo
Sergio Alvarez, 45, of Clearwater, was unloading sheets of quartz at Pyramid International in Largo when he was pinned under about 10,000 pounds of it Monday afternoon.
A Clearwater man was pinned beneath 10,000 pounds of sheets of quartz rock as he unloaded the building material in Largo Monday afternoon.
Sergio Alvarez, 45, of Clearwater, was unloading several pallets of quartz delivered to Pelican International in Largo around 12:10 p.m., according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
As he released one of the pallets, which were on their side, to unload it, the supports broke. There were about 10 sheets of quartz on the pallet which fell on Alvarez, pinning him between the fallen rock and another pallet, according to investigators.
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Each sheet weighs nearly 1,000 pounds.
It took about 45 minutes for firefighters from various agencies to extricate Alvarez, according to officials.
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Alvarez was taken by Bayflite to Bayfront Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, according to investigators.
Deputies initially were called out to help clear a landing zone for the helicopter. They are investigating the incident and at this time say it appears to be accidental in nature.
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