OAKLAND — A longshoreman died early Tuesday morning after falling off a ship at the Port of Oakland, authorities said.
He was identified by the Alameda County Coroner’s Office as Jarvis Haskin, 59, of Alameda.
The death happened about 2 a.m. at a berth at the Oakland International Container Terminal in the 1900 block of Middle Harbor Road.
Initial reports were that Haskin was apparently attempting to secure a container on board the ship when something happened causing him to fall to the pavement below and then into the water, authorities said.
He was removed from the water by firefighters and pronounced dead at the scene.
The death is being investigated by Cal/OSHA, the Coast Guard and the coroner’s office.
In a Port of Oakland statement Tuesday afternoon, the port’s maritime director John Driscoll said he mourned the untimely loss.
“This is a tragedy that strikes everyone very deeply,” Driscoll said. “The waterfront is a tightly knit community and if a member of that community succumbs, we all share the grief.”
The port’s statement noted that most marine terminals were closed Tuesday for a state holiday marking the late labor leader Cesar Chavez’s birthday, but that some workers were still on the job due to the port’s designation as critical infrastructure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“All of those on the front-line of the supply chain have our heartfelt gratitude under these trying circumstances,” Driscoll said. “They’re keeping the economy going and doing their best to maintain some semblance of normalcy for all of us.”
Check back for updates.
Staff writer George Kelly contributed to this report.