North Bend church Calvary Mt Si is mourning a loss in their congregation this week after a Seattle crane accident killed four people. The church is now collecting funds for the family of ironworker Andrew Yoder.
“Please pray for the Yoder Family, our church family and all those affected, as we grieve the loss of an amazing man of God, husband and father,” the church wrote on social media.
Yoder was one of four people killed in a construction crane accident in downtown Seattle on Saturday, April 27.
North Bend Mayor Ken Hearing had met Andrew a few times over the years, he said.
“On behalf of the city of North Bend, I offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Andrew Yoder for this tragic loss. We have lost a beloved member of our community,” he said.
The accident happened on the streets of Fairview Avenue and Mercer Street, the Seattle Fire Department reported. The department responded at about 3:28 p.m. after the crane fell from the roof of a building and damaged six cars in total.
There were four fatalities as a result of the accident. Two of the victims were in the crane, the other two in separate vehicles, the Seattle Fire Department said. Four others were injured and evaluated by medics. Three were transported with non-life threatening injuries to Haborview — a 27-year-old male, 25-year-old female and four-month infant.
Seattle Pacific University reported that freshman Sarah Wong was also among those killed in the accident. Wong, an intended nursing major, was in a car on Mercer Street when the crane fell, they said.
“While we grieve the sudden and tragic loss of our precious student, we draw comfort from each other, our strong community of faith and God’s presence with us in times of sorrow,” the university wrote in a statement. “We ask that the community join us in praying for Sarah’s family and friends during this difficult time.”
The impacted building was evacuated and crews worked to stabilize the crane while the victims of the crash were attended to. The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries is conducting an investigation into the cause of the crane failure.
