Construction Worker Dies in Water Main Break Near Long Island Mall

A 56-year-old construction worker died Friday morning after becoming submerged during a water main break near the Roosevelt Field mall in East Garden City, New York. The worker, identified as Rafael Peralta of Babylon, was working on underground lines on Ring Road when the water engulfed him around 11:13 a.m., according to Nassau County police and News12.

Peralta's coworkers were able to pull him from the hole before first responders arrived and attempted life-saving measures at the scene. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.

Peralta was employed by a private contractor hired by the mall to work on a private water main and hydrant, according to the Town of Hempstead. The incident led to the closure of Ring Road between Stewart Avenue and Zeckendorf Boulevard for several hours as police launched an investigation into Peralta's death.

A resident, Alice Lindow, expressed her condolences near the scene, stating, "Losing a loved one is really hard. Knowing that they went out there to provide for their families. And I just want to pray for God’s comfort and strength for the family that is grieving a lost one, because it’s never easy."

This incident echoes a similar fatality in February 2023, when Matthew Heiden, a public works employee in Westmont, Illinois, died after being trapped in an underground vault that filled with water. A lawsuit filed by Heiden's estate in November 2023 alleged that he was sent into a confined space to work on a valve without adequate safety precautions. A panel of judges later allowed that lawsuit to proceed after its initial dismissal.