Man Dies After Falling 35 Feet Into Pews At Kankakee Church

KANKAKEE, IL — A 35-year-old Bourbonnais man died Wednesday after falling nearly 40 feet inside a Kankakee church, according to local media reports.

Kankakee firefighters were called at 11:30 a.m. to First Church of the Nazarene, 1000 N. Entrance Ave., for a report of a man who had fallen, Kankakee Fire Chief Bryan LaRoche told Patch. First responders found a man suffering from severe trauma after falling 35 feet onto church pews.

The man—who was a member of the church—had been on a lift to inspect damage to the church’s sanctuary caused by last week’s storms when the lift tipped over, LaRoche said.

First responders worked for 30 minutes to free the man from the lift and the pews.

A medical helicopter was called to the scene, but the man could not be airlifted due to his condition, LaRoche said.

He was transported to Riverside Medical Center, where he later died, officials confirmed Thursday.

The Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday afternoon urged cleanup crews to take extra precautions as they work scenes.

“Crews working at elevated heights or on damaged structures should take additional safety measures,” the Sheriff’s Office advised. “Always utilize appropriate fall protection systems, including harnesses and secure anchor points, when operating above ground level. Never assume that a structure is stable simply because it is still standing—many buildings, roofs, and supports may have been compromised and could fail without warning….”