READING, Pa. – An apparent accident at a Reading movie theater has left one person dead.
Police, firefighters and the Berks County Coroner’s Office were called to the R/C Reading Movies 11 & IMAX theater on N. 2nd Street just after 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.
A contractor was working above the ceiling when he slipped, according to the owner of the theater. His harness did not hold him and he fell.
The contractor died due to the fall, according to R/C Theatres officials.
The victim is from Florida, according to the coroner. The identity of the victim and the circumstances surrounding the incident are still unknown at this time.
The theater is currently undergoing renovation.
As of 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, OSHA is on the scene. A representative issued the following statement:
“In response to your request for information, OSHA opened an investigation into this incident. For background, OSHA has six months to complete an investigation. During that time, we are unable to share any additional information.”
The theater announced on their website that it will be closed on Wednesday and will reopen on Thursday.
“We apologize for any inconvenience,” the theater said on their website.
Owner and CEO of R/C Theatres, Scott R. Cohen, made a statement, saying in part that the victim was, “A well-respected and hard-working professional who had worked on many projects for R/C Theatres over the years and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.”