BURNS HARBOR, Ind. — A 47-year-old Hobart man was killed Friday morning in an apparent industrial accident at Bethlehem Steel, The (Muncie, Ind.) Times reported.
Randal E. Moehl, a 29-year employee of the company, was pronounced dead at the scene after his body was discovered in the hot metal area near the basic oxygen furnace. The accident occurred about 8:50 a.m. Friday.
Paul Gipson, president of United Steelworkers of America Local 6787, said Moehl was working by himself when the accident occurred.
He said the accident happened in an area where they transport hot iron from the blast furnace to the basic oxygen furnace in enclosed oval-shaped railroad cars. The cars — called submarine cars — are guided by a remote-controlled switch engine, which Moehl was operating.
Gipson said Moehl apparently was walking adjacent to the east side of a submarine car, possibly with his back turned away from the last car, when he possibly stumbled and fell under the wheels of the car. He said there were no witnesses to the accident and an investigation will have to determine exactly what happened.
Moehl had worked at that job for a little more than two months, and had been at work for about two hours Friday when the accident happened, Gipson said.
“He was a very good person and a real nice guy,” he said about Moehl.
According to a news release issued by the steelmaker, emergency response personnel were called to the steelmaking department about 8:50 a.m. after Moehl failed to respond to radio communications.
Company spokesman Clarence Ehlers said a President’s Investigation Committee, which includes representatives of the USWA and plant management, has been convened to investigate the accident.
Gipson added that the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration also is called in to investigate fatalities.
Calls by The Times to the Porter County coroner, who was also called in to investigate, were not returned Friday night.
Moehl had been active for several years in Steelworkers for Kids, a charitable organization that collected monetary and gift donations during the holiday season, then distributed them to needy or disabled children throughout Northwest Indiana.
Russ Fortini of Chesterton works at Bethlehem Steel with Moehl’s wife, April. He also participated in the Steelworkers for Kids campaign, which is where he met Randal Moehl.
“He was a quiet guy that just did stuff. He just liked people. He was always there,” Fortini said. The Moehls shopped for, wrapped and labeled the hundreds of gifts each year for the children, he said.
A family member contacted Friday night said they did not want to comment.
The last fatal accident at the steel mill was Feb. 2, 2001. Dan Kado of Hobart and Mike Davis of Gary were killed in an explosion during a repair of a coke gas line in the mill’s 160-inch plate mill. Five others were injured in that accident.
Just a year ago, on Nov. 29, 2001, two outside contractors, Dustin Thomas of Lowell and Barry Sager of Merrillville, were injured when an explosion occurred in the D blast furnace. Their injuries were minor.
Funeral services for Moehl are pending at Burns Funeral Home in Hobart.
In addition to his wife, April, he is survived by a daughter, Carrie, and several other family members. Another daughter, Mindi, preceded him in death in 1998.