RUMFORD – A NewPage Corp. employee who reportedly fell off a tank at the paper mill early Monday night was later pronounced dead at Rumford Hospital, police said late Monday night.
Investigating Detective Sgt. Daniel Garbarini did not name the 58-year-old Dixfield man, saying he had yet to contact family members.
“I don’t want the press to find out something before the family knows. I want to be courteous to the family,” he said.
Garbarini also declined to say if the fall caused the man’s death.
“This is still under investigation, and what actually occurred is not clear. It’s unclear whether this was a work-related accident or a personal medical issue,” Garbarini added.
He said he would know more by Tuesday morning.
A mill employee reported the incident to Rumford police at 5:50 p.m.
Mill spokesman Tony Lyons confirmed early Monday evening that a mill employee had been injured in an accident in the north end of the mill. Called the finishing section, that’s where the No. 10, No. 11 and No. 12 papermaking machines are located, he added.
Lyons, who was not at the mill when contacted, said he was still trying to get details.
Garbarini said the Medical Examiner’s office had been contacted, as well as an investigator with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, who would be at the mill Tuesday morning.
The Maine Attorney General’s office was also contacted, which is standard protocol for Rumford police whenever a possible work-related death occurs, Garbarini said.
Formerly known as MeadWestvaco, the coated-paper mill became NewPage Corp. in early May when Mead sold it and four others around the country.
Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, NewPage is an independent corporation financed by a number of investors including Cerberus Capital Management LLC of New York City.
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