Progress Made In Removal of Collapsed Crane In Lauderhill

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LAUDERHILL (CBSMiami) – On a wet South Florida Thursday, the massive undertaking to dismantle a 160-ton capacity toppled crane moved at a slow pace.

Crews were hampered by rain and lightning throughout the morning and into the afternoon.

Chopper4 was over the scene at Northwest 11th Street and 43rd Avenue, where very little had changed since the crane first came crashing down around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The crane is still straddling the same two houses. Two people suffered minor injuries.

Lauderhill Fire told CBS4 that two additional cranes are being brought in to turn over the one that collapsed on Wednesday.

"Doing what we usually do during a hurricane, no different, talking to the neighbors seeing if anybody needs anything and just waiting," said Brandie Rickets who lives across the street.

The accident didn't just affect the families who live in the home damaged but the entire neighborhood.

A precautionary boil water notice is now in effect for many Lauderhill residents due to the collapse, though many in the area did not have running water due to a water main break related to the collapse.

Officials are saying that service has been restored to all but 11 affected homes.

"The city of Lauderhill had put out a precautionary boil water notice asking people to boil water if they have," said Lauderhill Fire assistant chief Jeff Levy. "The utility crews are on scene right now. They have restored water to most of the area and are currently working on how to get it back up now."

Officials say that service should be fully restored sometime Thursday night.

The boundaries of that precautionary boil water order are:

• Northwest 11th Street to Northwest 12th Street on Northwest 43rd Terrace
• Northwest 11th Street to NW 12th Street on Northwest 46th Avenue
• Northwest 43rd Terrace to Northwest 46th Avenue on NW 11th Street

Those living in the affected area are advised to boil water used for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth or washing dishes. A rolling boil of one minute it sufficient. Bottled water may also be used.

The precautionary boil water order will remain in effect until a bacteriological survey shows the water is safe to drink.

When the crane toppled over Wednesday, power was also knocked out in the surrounding area.

Officials confirmed that power had been restored shortly before noon Thursday.

Laderhill Fire says the crane was in the area working with FPL replacing power poles in the back of houses when it lost stability. Rickets says she talked to workers before it happened.

"They said something about the ground being soft but I would think that's something you test before you bring a crane," she said.

A family out of a home, with a woman who lives there telling CBS4 News her nephew was the only one inside at the time of the collapse.

"Based on the pictures that I've seen, I see that he's really lucky because it could've been worse," said Glennise Charles.

He was hospitalized after she says pieces of the ceiling came crashing down on top of him.

"They said that we're not even able to get in even after they lift up the crane we're not even sure if we're going to be able to get in," said Charles. "I don't know how my things are, how much I'm going to lose, so I'm just worried about that"

CBS4 News reached out to Sims Crane and Equipment, the company that owns the crane, for comment.

David Wessin, the safety director at Sims gave us the wrong number for another Crane Company which was not involved in the accident.

Later CBS4 did finally reach someone with company.

They declined formal comment but told us their "main concern is for the families affected and they are working to get it cleaned up, but no one should expect it to happen quickly."