The 25-year-old tower technician employed by WesTower Communications fell from this Bell Canada monopole in Riverview, New Brunswick. Graphic: Google Earth. Photograph: Wade Perry.
Canada’s telecom industry is mourning the loss of a 25-year-old tower technician who tragically died while working on a cellular tower in Riverview, New Brunswick, on Monday. Despite the heartbreaking incident, safety records show that Canada remains one of the safest countries in the world for elevated workers in the wireless infrastructure sector.
According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, officers responded to the site on Coverdale Road around 12:30 p.m. The technician, who was wearing safety equipment, fell while conducting repairs on a wireless tower. He was transported to a nearby hospital by emergency services, where he was later pronounced dead.
The worker was employed by WesTower Communications, one of the country’s leading wireless infrastructure providers. In a statement to Global News, WesTower President Nathan Schauerte said, “Our immediate priority is the safety and well-being of our employees and their families. We are focused on providing support to the affected crew, and we are working in partnership with appropriate authorities to investigate the circumstances that led to this incident.” Schauerte confirmed that no other workers were injured.
WorkSafeNB is currently investigating the incident. The technician was performing work on behalf of Bell Canada, which confirmed the tower belonged to their wireless network. “We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues,” said Bell in a statement. “Our team is working with the contractor’s employer to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragic event.”
The Structure, Tower & Antenna Council (STAC), which represents the Canadian telecommunications infrastructure industry, also released a statement. Nick Kyonka, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Canadian Telecommunications Association, expressed the collective grief of the industry: “It is with great sadness that STAC has learned of the tragic death of a tower technician this Monday while on a site near Riverview, NB. Everyone at STAC is mourning the news of the young man’s death, and we offer our deepest condolences to his family… Our sympathies to the climber, his family, and the entire tower climber community.”
A country with one of the world’s best safety records
Though any fatality is a tragedy, Canada has consistently maintained one of the safest elevated workforce environments globally, especially within the high-risk telecom tower sector.
According to a 25-year review by Wireless Estimator, Canada has recorded only five known tower technician fall-related fatalities since 1999 — an extraordinary statistic compared to similar countries with expansive telecom infrastructure.
Those fatalities include:
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2005: A 21-year-old man fell from an AM tower in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He survived the 55-foot fall but succumbed to his injuries 10 days later.
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2013: A 25-year-old technician died in Alberta after falling from a height of 193 feet.
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2019: A 22-year-old fell during the dismantling of a monopole in Candia, Quebec.
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2022: A 31-year-old worker died after falling from a 400-foot tower in Ontario.
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2025: This most recent tragedy in Riverview, New Brunswick.
In contrast, despite having a larger workforce, the United States has seen far more fatalities in tower construction and maintenance. However, that has dropped considerably in past years through training programs and NATE’s exceptional advocacy in safety. Experts credit Canada’s regulatory framework, industry-wide safety standards, and strong organizational support from groups like STAC for its elevated safety standing.
Commitment to continued safety
As investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding Monday’s incident, industry leaders emphasize the importance of continual improvement in safety training, procedures, and oversight.
“Even with one of the strongest safety records worldwide, one life lost is one too many,” said one Canadian safety consultant familiar with tower construction. “We owe it to this technician and his family to learn from every incident and ensure we do even better.”
The technician’s identity has not yet been released publicly out of respect for the family.
WorkSafeNB and WesTower are expected to provide further updates once the investigation concludes.