Man who was killed in Gig Harbor roof collapse identified by medical examiner
The man who died on March 8 while working on a Gig Harbor roof when it collapsed has been identified.
John Vandenberg was 64 years old when he was crushed from the roof that was being remodeled at 11700 118th Ave. NW on the Key Peninsula.
His cause of death was ruled an accident by “blunt torso trauma,” according to Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The medical examiner’s office did not say where the man was from.
Sgt. Darren Moss, a spokesperson for Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, said it appears Vandenberg was part of a small group of people helping the homeowners with a roof remodel.
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, which investigates workplace injuries and accidents, including construction sites., did not find any official employer-employee relationship for the project.
Therefore, LNI is not investigating it, Matt Ross, public affairs manager for LNI, told the Gateway.
Moss said at this time law enforcement is also not investigating the incident.
According to Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer, the Gig Harbor home is owned by Kingman LLC.
The state’s Corporations and Charities Filing System shows Kingman LLC also owns Minterbreek Oyster Company, which is a local fishing company that’s been around since 1932.
The oyster company has been passed off in ownership a few times. But, it’s now owned and operated by the Kingman family, who acquired the company in 2012. They plan to open a new oyster bar near Purdy sometime this year, according to their website.
The Gateway reached out to the Kingman family on March 15 for a comment and did not get a response.
A second man, also 64, was injured and transported to a nearby hospital with serious injuries, The News Tribune previously reported. Moss said he had no further information on this second man’s condition.
