Frankie Rivera-Rivera
Burial services were held today in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico, for 33-year-old tower technician Frankie Rivera-Rivera who succumbed from his injuries after falling from a 350-foot tower in Andover, Kansas, on May 9.
According to individuals knowledgeable of the incident, Rivera and a co-worker were reportedly performing maintenance services for AT&T on a tower off Zenith Rd., owned by Harmoni Towers.
It’s been reported that he was near the top of the structure, working with his coworker when inclement weather started rolling in. As Rivera-Rivera descended, he fell to his death.
His coworker was not aware of the incident until he came down.
OSHA was on site immediately following the accident and is continuing its investigation. It is unknown whether it was a climber error or an equipment malfunction.
Rivera-Rivera had been a climbing technician for two and one-half years and was employed by MPS Site Development Services of Kennesaw, GA. A co-worker said he “was quite a humble guy, always caring, always smiling.”
He is survived by his wife and their two young girls.
The Tower Family Foundation has reached out to assist.
Rivera-Rivera was the first industry fatality in 2023. Four deaths were identified in 2021 and three last year.
