A 31-year-old tower foreman died on July 15 after being struck by a transmission line his crew was removing from a 300-foot self-supporting tower in Castle Danger, Minnesota, ending what had been the safest year on record for the tower industry.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office received the call at 2:35 p.m. reporting a worker was struck by a cable on a tower on Bunker Hill Road. The victim, later identified as Eduard Shelipov of Lakeville, Minnesota, was pronounced dead at Essentia Hospital in Duluth. The Sheriff’s Office thanked the Minnesota State Patrol, Lake County Ambulance Service, Lake County Rescue Squad, and Two Harbors Fire Department for their response.
The tower is owned by American Tower, and according to a recent Google Earth image, appears to have two tenants. Shelipov was employed by 5GT Towers, which had been subcontracted for the work by MasTec Network Solutions on behalf of AT&T. MasTec issued orders that no one on any level was to provide information to the media or post about the incident on social media.
Investigation Confirmed Despite Confusing Denial
Rumors of a fatality had circulated in the industry for nearly a week before the Sheriff’s Office confirmed it. Asked directly, a Minnesota OSHA representative told Wireless Estimator yesterday afternoon that the agency “does not have any information” and suggested contacting local EMS or police. WirelessEstimator separately contacted Lake County Sheriff Nathan Stadler’s office, which issued a press release confirming the death this morning.
While no time requirement obligates a state OSHA program to report information, MNOSHA has yet to show an ongoing investigation on the federal Establishment Search page.
Wireless Estimator has confirmed OSHA was on site investigating as of July 16. The agency is examining what caused the line to fall, including whether a hoisting grip or other rigging equipment failed; no cause has yet been determined.
A drone was observed flying over the site the day after the incident. It is not known who was operating it or what role, if any, it will play in the investigation.
“A Model to Follow”
Shelipov had worked in the tower industry for three years and was employed by 5GT Towers in its Chanhassen, Minnesota facility.
“Eduard was a hardworking foreman. His crew was a model to follow, very responsible and quality-driven,” 5GT Towers Superintendent Shon Nhuien told Wireless Estimator. Nhuien added that Shelipov was known outside of work as a kind-hearted man with a strong sense of humor, an avid traveler, and a car enthusiast.
He is survived by his wife, Yuliia, and their two-year-old daughter, Michelle. Funeral services will be held July 23 at 12:00 p.m. at Anderson Funeral Home in St. Charles, Minnesota.
A 5GT Towers employee said the company’s projects have been paused for two weeks following the incident.
A Second Transmission Line Fatality
The incident bears a close resemblance to a 2022 fatality in which a hoisting grip attaching a hybrid line to a tower failed, dropping the line and rigging onto a 32-year-old tower technician, who was struck and became entangled. Whether the same failure mode is at play here remains under OSHA review.
Last year the tower industry recorded six fatalities. Shelipov’s death is the first in 2026.
5GT Towers was founded seven years ago and is headquartered in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, led by CEO Alex Kandyba. The company employs 64 people, according to its website.
