A 58-year-old man from Fairfax, Vermont, has died after a workplace accident at the Casella Waste Systems landfill in Coventry on Thursday morning.
Vermont State Police identified the victim as Thomas Feerick. He was working as a subcontractor at the landfill when the accident occurred at approximately 9:40 a.m. Emergency crews responded to a call about an unconscious man at the site.
What Happened at the Landfill
According to investigators, Feerick was operating an aerial lift to remove a section of fencing near the property when the lift tipped over and went down a small embankment. Police say he was not wearing a safety harness at the time and was thrown from the platform, either as the lift struck the ground or in the moments just before impact.
Other contractors working nearby noticed the accident and rushed to assist Feerick before calling 911 for help. Newport EMS arrived on scene and transported him to North Country Hospital for treatment. Despite efforts to save him, Feerick later died from his injuries at the hospital.
Vermont State Police have said that all evidence collected so far points to the incident being accidental. Investigators have stated there is nothing suspicious about the circumstances surrounding Feerick’s death.
Investigation and Next Steps
Feerick’s body has been sent to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington, where an autopsy will be performed. That examination is expected to determine the official cause and manner of death, though officials have not indicated when those results might be released to the public.
As of now, no additional details have been made available by police or by Casella Waste Systems regarding the accident. It remains unclear how long Feerick had been working at the site or what specific safety protocols were in place for workers operating aerial lifts near the landfill’s embankments.
The Casella landfill in Coventry has operated for years as one of the major waste disposal sites in the region. Accidents involving heavy equipment and aerial lifts are not uncommon in industries like waste management and construction, where workers often perform tasks at heights or near uneven terrain.
Safety experts frequently emphasize the importance of wearing harnesses and following proper protocols when using aerial lifts, especially in environments with embankments or other elevation changes. Whether this incident will lead to further scrutiny of safety practices at the landfill has not yet been addressed by officials.
Community members in the Northeast Kingdom region, along with Feerick’s family and coworkers, are left mourning the loss of a man whose work took him to job sites across Vermont. Authorities have not released further personal details about Feerick at this time.
