Vancouver Sun | Joseph Ruttle | Mar 10, 2022
Chris Straw and Marc Doré were killed on March 16, 2021, while the pair worked on the foundation of Straw’s new home
The families of two Gabriola Island friends who died when a concrete boom collapsed while they worked on the foundation of a new home have filed lawsuits against the contractor and equipment suppliers.
Property owner Chris Straw was being helped by friends and neighbours Marc Dore and Huguette Grenier-Dore on the foundation when the fatal accident occurred on March 16, 2021.
The family said the Dores were experienced and registered builders who had built many homes on Gabriola. But after the first wall had been poured without incident, “the extended boom of the concrete pumper truck snapped off and collapsed with such immense force that Chris and Marc were thrown violently to the ground.”
The two men were fatally injured, while Grenier-Dore survived “by chance,” the families said in a statement provided by their lawyers.
The suits claim a WorkSafeBC report reinforced the families’ belief that a “preventable equipment failure” was the reason for the fatal incident. They say they’re launching the court actions to hold the companies accountable for “the senseless deaths of two precious family men and valued community members,” and to ensure the tragedy leads to better construction safety standards.