19-year-old from Wheeler hurt in construction fall

According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, an employee of Ames Construction Inc. was working on the Dresbach Bridge near La Crosse and fell roughly 40 feet into the Pier 2 coffer dam on the morning of Wednesday, November 6.

The name of the employee was released last Thursday. He is 19-year-old Logan Goodell of Wheeler. He is a 2012 graduate of Boyceville High School.

According to a report from the Winona County Sheriff’s Department, Goodell did have a helmet and safety gear on, but wasn’t tied off which led to his fall off the platform.

According to MNDOT, another worker witnessed the fall, initiated the emergency response plan and called La Crosse County 911. Gundersen Tri-State Ambulance received the call at 9:07 a.m. and a paramedic ambulance and two paramedic supervisors arrived on scene at 9:18 a.m.

First responders were quickly transported by a waiting boat from the Minnesota side of the river to the rescue site, where they were able to rescue the worker from the Pier 2 coffer dam.

Reports from the Gary Brauer, Town of Campbell Assistant Fire Chief, say that the young man was lifted out of the coffer dam on a basket by a crane and set down on the tugboat with medical personnel on hand.

Work on Pier 2 temporarily stopped due to the incident going under investigation.

Goodell was taken to Gundersen Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse where he was heavily sedated due to his injuries. He suffered a brain hemorrhage, compound fracture on his right leg, a fractured arm and other minor injuries as well.

An update on his current state and progress can be found online at the CaringBridge website under Logan Goodell.