Last three bodies pulled from crane wreck

The last three bodies were pulled out on Monday from the debris caused by a fallen crane in NYC. A total of seven people died when the crane collapsed on Saturday last week.

Tuesday, March 18th 2008, 9:53 am

By: News 9

CBS News

The bodies of three people, missing in the debris of a crane collapse on New York City's east side last Saturday, were recovered on Monday. Now the investigation into what caused the deaths of seven people kicks into high gear.

Construction workers saluted their two colleagues as their bodies were removed from the twisted metal and debris left after a 19-story crane came loose and fell apart.

The Medical Examiner made three trips to the scene, removing the bodies of two construction workers. Then they found the final victim, a woman visiting New York City from Miami. She spent her final frightening moments under what was left of a crushed five-story town house.

Recovery teams made swift progress after the steel beams of the crane were hauled away. Emergency workers swarmed the scene, literally searching by hand, stone by stone.

Seventy-five percent of the crane has been hauled away from 50th Street, and the rest of it is being cut into pieces. What remains unclear is whether the accident was equipment failure or human failure.