Man dies after pile of wood falls on him in lumber yard

COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) - An employee at a lumber yard died after a pile of wood shifted and fell on top of him, authorities said.

Firefighters with Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue arrived Ganahl Lumber about 9:30 p.m. Friday after getting a call for help, Capt. Joe Noceti said.

Firefighters found the victim, identified by coroner’s officials as 28-year-old Ricardo Castorena of Santa Ana, trapped against a forklift under a heavy pile of lumber that shifted and toppled over, Noceti said.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Firefighters worked for about three hours to pull the pile of wood off of him so the coroner could conduct an investigation, Noceti said.

The incident appeared to be an accident, Noceti said. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating.