A memorial fund has been established for Dean Williams, the Houston-based rigger who fell and died at AT&T Center on April 5, 2013. Dean leaves behind a wife and baby daughter. The fund has been established for his wife, Haley, and Lydia, his 3 and a half month old baby. Dean was caring for his family, and now they need help. Like any of our fallen brothers and sisters, if you can help out, I’m sure even a few bucks would be beneficial.
Dean fell from the primary steel at AT&T Center, allegedly when he unclipped to maneuver around a beam when he fell around 100 feet to the arena floor. Dean was pronounced dead at the scene. From KSAT in San Antonio:
The man had been wearing a harness connected to a safety line, Berry said, but he disconnected it to step around a beam, where he intended to reconnect to another safety line on the other side.
That’s when Williams lost his balance.
According to the AT&T Center’s website, a Romeo Santos concert took place at the venue starting at 8 p.m. Thursday.
Leo Gomez, spokesman for the AT&T Center, said Occupational Safety and Health administration inspectors had been in the building.
He said OSHA officials briefly talked with him about the incident, but asked he not speak about it while the investigation is ongoing.
Gomez said OSHA “released the building to proceed with its events,” which includes a Rampage hockey game starting at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Please be safe out there, everyone. One second you’re unclipping to move around a beam, and the next second, there’s a memorial fund for your wife and infant daughter. Please be safe, folks. Our work in this industry isn’t worth a single Dean Williams, or Nathan Byrd, or anyone else who I’ve had to report on dying this year.
Please, please be careful out there. For your babies and wives and dogs and cats, please be careful.
Tragic and terrible, and shows that more safety standards need to be set for our industry. I never understood why riggers, while requiring to wear full harnesses, don’t also “double-up” on the safety line, with something as simple as a via ferrata kit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Via_ferrata#Safety_and_equipment); these things have been around since before rigging was a profession, and I REALLY hope I’m not the first one to think about this! When used correctly, the user is ALWAYS clipped into the safety line.
Dean was a very good friend,and great rigger,i would like to pay my respect so if anyone knows where and when funeral is please send me an email…………r.i.p dean.
I did a lot of gigs with Dean for years. He had a heart of gold to those that really knew him. You will be missed bro.
R I P Dean
Correction: Haley is his wife and Lydia is their 3 1/2 month old baby daughter. Thank you for setting this up and sharing. Travis, Dean’s Memorial is 1pm Friday at Avant Garden. We love you Dean, rest in peace. – Haley’s mom and Lydia’s gram
There’s not just men up in the ceiling! Why do you mention dogs and cats but not husbands? is it your assumption that only men can be up in the ceiling working? RIP Dean.
Mark Nakla
Dean was one of a kind a great rigger electrician hard worker
and a great lighting guy.He was always all about safety and knew what
to do up in the rig and how to rig all the point We all miss and love him
and will be sorely missed Everyone
please continue to donate to this fund
as Lydia and small daughter Haley
will need the help as Dean was their
sole provider Dean Williams R I P
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