A construction worker died when a retaining wall fell Tuesday afternoon at the old St. Mary's Hospital property in Jefferson City, authorities said.
Firefighters and emergency personnel responded to the site around 1 p.m.
The first 911 call indicated Jacob Schrimpf, a construction worker, was trapped underneath a large concrete block retaining wall, according to Jefferson City Fire Department reports. Emergency personnel located the victim and confirmed the worker was pinned beneath the blocks.
Firefighters started shoring and stabilization efforts, securing the collapsed wall while attempting to make access to Schrimpf. Firefighters continued rescue efforts for approximately 40 minutes before fully gaining access to Schrimpf.
Cole County EMS paramedics determined Schrimpf had died as a result of injuries sustained from the collapsed wall.
The Jefferson City Police Department is conducting a death investigation, according to Fire Department reports.
Farmer Holding Company's parent company, F&F Development, purchased the site in December 2015 after SSM Health relocated St. Mary's Hospital to its Mission Drive location in 2014.
Construction on a Courtyard by Marriott hotel started this summer on the site near the intersection of Missouri Boulevard and U.S. 50. The local developer got City Council approval in August 2017 to redevelop the property using tax increment financing. An old office building and parking deck at the site were left in place.
The company reported last month that the hotel was to be completed by August. They have proposed the hotel be a part of a redevelopment plan for the historic Missouri State Penitentiary site, with a convention center possibly to be built next to the hotel.
Two construction permits were issued for the old St. Mary's site, according to records provided by Jefferson City Building Official Larry Burkhardt. One is for Thomas Construction, of Osage Beach, which is doing the work on the Marriott hotel.
The second permit is for Horizon Company, a subsidiary of Farmer Holding Company, which is the contractor on the retaining wall that collapsed. Horizon subcontracted Schrimpf Landscaping and Twehous Excavating to do the actual work.
Burkhardt said the companies are reputable and had no problems reported prior to this incident.
The retaining wall that collapsed, which faces Missouri Boulevard underneath where the hotel is being constructed, is made up of Rosetta stone blocks, Burkhardt said. A second retaining wall at the site is against the parking garage.
Under city guidelines, the contractor is responsible for meeting the safety needs of workers on a construction site, Burkhardt said. The city asks for safety measures to be available on site, such as water, he added. The city also required fences and barriers be set up to keep the public out of construction site.
"We also make sure that the building complies with the final construction plans submitted to city," Burkhardt said.
Federal authorities usually will come in after such an incident like this occurs, but as of Tuesday afternoon, Burkhardt said he had not been notified of any such visit.
A Farmer Holding Company official declined to comment for this article.
This story was updated at 7:16 p.m. Jan. 28, 2020, with additional details.