Contractor rescued after medical emergency atop Indiana wind turbine

Oct 2020Published 17 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantOther

Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?

turbine out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate

From the recordRoot cause

We will also email you about the register's paid records and plans, at most once a week and three times in all. You can stop these at any time. By signing up you agree to the privacy policy.

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): EDP Renewables, Kiewit Power Constructors

What happened

A 54 year old contractor working inside the hub of a wind turbine near Monticello, Indiana suffered a medical emergency while performing work on equipment. The turbine, roughly 340 to 350 feet tall, is owned by EDP Renewables, and the contractor worked for Kiewit Power Constructors. Emergency services were called and Monticello Fire Department personnel, supported by Wolcott Ambulance Service and Wolcott Fire Department, climbed the turbine's interior ladder and reached the hub after about an hour.

Firefighter paramedics began advanced life support treatment at height, working alongside a Kiewit superintendent who was also present, before lowering the man to the ground using a mechanical advantage system. He was then transported to a hospital. His condition afterwards was not disclosed. The rescue required close coordination between the fire department, EDP Renewables and Kiewit staff, who provided technical information about the turbine's systems.

Contributing factors

The source attributes the incident to a medical episode suffered by the contractor while working at height inside the turbine hub; no equipment failure or mechanical fault was reported.

Lessons learned

Wind turbine operators and contractors should maintain clear emergency response protocols and rescue equipment for medical emergencies occurring at height.
Coordination between site owners, contractors and local emergency services in advance of work at height can speed up rescue response times.
On-site personnel familiar with turbine systems should be available to assist emergency responders unfamiliar with the specific equipment.

More lessons on worker safety and safe systems of work, emergency response and public communication, from every incident on the register.

Source

newsbug.info

Published 2026-09-17. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

See the register's stories first in Google: add it as a preferred source.

Chart to reuse with this story: Wind (onshore) incidents in the United States, by year, free with a credit (PNG).

The record behind this entry

The record behind EIR-0944 holds the owner, the root cause and the fire service response as fields you can filter, count and export, with its source and their verification status. The cause is not hidden: the contributing factors above give it as the sources report it. The record adds it as a field. Companies are named in the roles the sources give them. Being named is not a finding of fault.

Owner: •••••••••
Fire service response: ••••••••••
Sources: ••••••••

Opens with either of these:

Once per person; every record, every page, for reading, and 1 free question to Ask the register; no subscription

Analyst, £39 a month

Ask the register any question in plain words and get a sourced answer in seconds (20 a month), plus the full record behind every entry. Cancel at any time. Limited-time price, rising to £79. Join now and keep £39.

See a complete record first, if you like.

Open the record in Lookup

Or get this one record free by email

Wind (onshore) incidents in the United States: 102 entries, with a free alert for the next one.

Wind turbine fires: the counts, the latest entries and a free alert for the next one.

Browse the full register or submit an incident.