On April 4, 2013, 30-year-old Alvin Thomas from Many Farms, Arizona, was killed during a construction accident at the Bagdad Mine.
Just before 2 p.m., Thomas was part of a crew fitting a row of large pipes together when one of the pipes came loose and struck him in the back of his head. The pipe section was 40 feet in length with a 3 foot radius and weighed in excess of 5000 pounds.
Personnel from the Bagdad Fire Department arrived within minutes and attempted to resuscitate Thomas, but he was pronounced deceased just after 2:45 PM.
The Medical Examiner took custody of Thomas’ body. Cause of death is pending review by their office.
Thomas was a contract worker with the Freeport-McMoran Copper and Gold Mine in Bagdad. The Arizona State Mine Inspector’s Office was notified and will be conducting an investigation.