Tower Tech Calvin Wayne Sellars, 46, died after falling from a 50-foot level of an internet tower at the Whispering Pines golf course on July 14. His employer never contacted OSHA regarding the fatality.
According to the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office, a tower technician died on July 14, 2025, when he fell from an internet tower at the Whispering Pines golf course near Sebastopol, Texas.
In a statement, Sheriff Woody Wallace said that Calvin Wayne Sellars, 46, was working on the tower when he fell to the ground from approximately 50 feet up. Wallace said Sellars was pronounced dead at the scene. The sheriff’s office did not provide the name of Sellars’ employer.
Multiple requests to the sheriff’s office for additional information were not returned, and the fatality was not listed on OSHA’s establishment search platform, where worker deaths are typically uploaded within two to three days of the incident.
Wireless Estimator identified the employer as Trace Wireless of Groveton and contacted the business multiple times for comment, but the company did not respond.
While his crew worked below him without hard hats, a tower tech, who free-climbed the structure, worked on a dish with his lanyard hanging by his side. (Photo: Trace Wireless Facebook)
Wireless Estimator also contacted OSHA’s Houston North Area Office yesterday, and a spokesperson said they were not aware of a tower technician fatality in Trinity County and would investigate the incident.
Today, an OSHA inspector confirmed they were opening an investigation into the worker’s death and had contacted Trace Wireless. Although OSHA requires companies to notify the agency within eight hours of a fatality, a representative of Trace allegedly stated they were unaware of that requirement.
Trace also appeared to be unaware of OSHA’s stringent requirement that climbers be tied appropriately off 100% of the time when working on elevated structures at six feet and above.
Trace Wireless, on its Facebook page, said it was proud of its employee who was free-climbing.
The company’s Facebook page reveals a concerning collection of apparent safety violations. One example is a video showing a technician free-climbing in shorts and sneakers, with Trace applauding the worker’s disregard for safety procedures: “Our amazing tower climber is out doing updates on towers today to provide the best service to our customers. Look at how fast he moves! Colton definitely goes above and beyond and we are so proud to have him on our team.”
In the video, Colton free-climbs approximately 120 feet in under a minute.
OSHA will investigate whether Trace properly trained its climbers in compliance with general industry and construction regulations, particularly regarding fall protection, training, and PPE requirements.
Trace’s troubling archive of videos and photographs includes images of a person standing atop a water tower without any PPE, and another showing a climber free-climbing with an antenna tied to him, with the narration suggesting it might have been his first time climbing.
A construction supervisor used a torpedo level to ensure that the vertical tolerance for the guyed tower was met. (Photo: Trace Wireless Facebook)
It is not currently known whether Trace owned the tower Sellars was working on. The company has installed multiple structures throughout Trinity County, and on the surface, several appear to lack proper engineering design.
One example involved the construction of a guyed tower resembling a Rohn 25G or slightly more robust model, with a base section inserted into a shallow excavation and surrounded by a concrete foundation. Instead of using a transit to ensure vertical alignment, the company used a torpedo level placed on a welded Z-brace—raising questions about structural integrity of the installation.
Sellars was the second industry fatality in 2025.
Trinity County was the location of another climber fatality eight months ago
This is not the first tower fatality reported in Trinity County. Eight months ago, a Mastec technician died while working on a 500-foot Crown Castle guyed tower approximately eight miles from the Whispering Pines site. Sheriff Wallace also reported that incident.
Following an investigation, OSHA closed the case on March 31, 2025, without issuing any citations.
In its summary of the investigation, OSHA wrote: “At approximately 11:00 a.m. on November 4, 2024, an employee was removing large pieces of telecommunication wire from a tower at an approximate height of 140 feet. The employee was cutting the wire using a Sawzall when he fell from the tower. The employee sustained a broken leg and blunt force trauma and was pronounced dead as a result of the injuries.”
However, according to the sheriff’s report, the technician was working alone and was found dead at the site in the morning when deputies made a welfare check because the technician never returned home.
Tower Family Foundation can assist Calvin Sellars’ next of kin
The Tower Family Foundation has been seeking information regarding Calvin Sellars’ next of kin to assist them with a charitable donation.
A co-worker, company owner, or family representative can fill out and submit a form available here. The foundation was established to provide financial assistance to family members of tower workers who have been severely injured, permanently disabled, or killed in accidents stemming from working at heights on communication structures or other job-related activities that tower professionals face daily.