Veteran Climber Fatality Puzzles Employer

 A  26-year veteran of the tower industry, Shane Jenson of Orfordville, WI, died Sunday from injuries he suffered following a 95-foot fall from a cell tower in Le Roy, KS. Jenson was working for Blackhawk Tower, a subsidiary of Wisconsin-based Wave Communications, performing welding repairs on the tower at the time of the accident. He was reportedly with one other worker at the site owned by UScellular.

Wave Vice President Mike Veith told Inside Towers he’s very confident his company had furnished the workers with all of the proper climbing and safety gear necessary and “everything was in place.” 

“It’s puzzling,” Veith said. “He was the last guy in our workforce I would expect that to happen to.” An experienced climber, Jenson had done tower painting and maintenance for 25 years. He had been working with Blackhawk since 2019.

An investigation into the cause of the fall is now underway by OSHA. Donations are being taken by the Tower Family Foundation. Information on funeral services was not known at press time.