School Staff Member, Brewery Owner Dead after Falls

San Antonio, TX (WorkersCompensation.com) -- A school worker and a brewery owner are dead after falls at work in separate incidents this month.

In San Antonio, a school employee at Brandeis High School died after an incident involving a student.

Northside Independent School District Spokesman Barry Perez said in a statement that Alfred “Mr. Fred” Jimenez had been “attempting to redirect a student” with special needs at Brandeis High School when he “fell to the floor” and sustained a head injury.

Perez said other staff members on campus were on the scene and attended to Jimenez immediately, and he was subsequently taken to a nearby hospital. Jimenez, who was 73, later died as a result of his injuries.

Northside ISD Superintendent Dr. John Craft and Brandeis High Principal Dr. Geri Berger identified Jimenez as an instructional assistant in the Applied Learning Environment (ALE) who assisted students with moderate to severe cognitive disabilities meet their “specialized needs,” officials said. Jimenez had worked for the district for nearly 10 years.

Craft and Berger offered condolences to Jimenez’s family, whom they said they would support during this difficult time.

“The entire Bronco family is grieving his loss,” the school officials add. “His impact on the campus was far reaching and impacted students and staff both in and out of the classroom.”

While campus administrators and Northside ISD police investigate the incident, Perez said, the school district will make counselors available to students and staff members.

In North Carolina, the co-founder of a brewery in Charlotte is dead after a fall-related incident at one of the brewery’s locations.

Officials said Dan Wade, co-founder of The Wooden Robot Brewery died Tuesday after a fall. Both of the breweries tap rooms are closed until further notice, the company said on its Facebook page.

A spokesperson for the Mecklenburg EMS Agency said crews responded to the tap room on South Tryon Street just after 1:30 p.m. for a fall-related 9-1-1 call. Wade was pronounced dead at the scene.

Josh Patton, Wooden Robot Brewery’s other co-founder, confirmed Wade’s death in a statement on Facebook.

“We are all still in shock and need time to process everything, but we will do our best to keep everyone in the loop for when we open up our taprooms again,” Patton said. “Your thoughts and prayers for Dan’s family, his wife, and his son are much appreciated at this time.”

Employees and others at the brewery are working through the loss, the company said.

“We’re trying to navigate through this as best as we can, and we appreciate everyone’s understanding. Our loss is so immense,” Wooden Robot spokeswoman Jacki Keating told CharlotteFive. “Dan Wade was more than one of our founders and leaders at Wooden Robot Brewery. He was a dedicated husband, a loving father, an adoring uncle, an ever-loving son, a caring dog dad, and a beloved member of the Charlotte community- where he poured his heart and soul into his family, friends, and beer.”

Rick Benfield, vice president of sales and marketing at Charlotte brewery Blue Blaze Brewing, told WSOC-TV the community is in shock.

“Dan was such a big part of our brewing community, very well respected. A darn good brewer,” said Benfield. “It’s just a shame, especially at his young age.”

Keating organized a GoFundMe campaign for Wade’s immediate family in wake of the “devastating loss.” As of Thursday, the fund had raised more than $140,000.

Organizers said the money would be used to hire a night nurse to assist Wade’s wife and newborn son, as well as to provide financial assistance for funeral expenses, immediate bills and future educational expenses for Wade’s son.

Officials with the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Division said they were notified by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department about the incident, according to WSOC-TV.

“A compliance officer has been assigned to begin investigating the report,” officials said.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), work-related fatalities due to falls, trips and slips increased 1.8 percent in 2022. In that year, the BLS reported 865 fall-related fatalities, up from 850 in 2021. Most fall-related fatalities (80.9 percent) were due to falls to lower levels – 700 incidents in 2022, compared to 680 in 2021, a 2.9 percent increase.

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