Workers ‘very lucky’ after crane parts crush luxury Gold Coast tower Pearl Main Beach

Workers at a luxury tower on the Gold Coast say they are ‘very lucky’ after a crane caused damages to the building.

PARTS of a crane have caused damage to luxury Main Beach tower PEARL, being developed by Raptis Group.

A nearby resident told the Bulletin he heard loud noises at 4pm on Tuesday from across the road and saw parts of the building on Main Beach Parade being wrecked by what he described as an out-of-control crane.

Crane accident at the Raptis Pearl development at Main Beach. Picture Glenn Hampson

A frayed cable swings from the crane. Picture Glenn Hampson

“I watched when the hook on the crane fell off,” he said.

“It was frightening. It’s close to the road where pedestrians walk and many cars drive past.”

The resident said he spoke to workers on the site who told him they were “very lucky”.

“They said if they were a few floors down when the giant hook flew off, things could have been very different,” he said.

The Debris from a crane that was working on PEARL Main Beach that had a hook break off. Picture: Supplied

Some of the debris that landed in a garden in Spinnaker Apartments. Picture: Supplied

The resident said debris from the incident landed in a garden in the Spinnaker Apartments, 400m down the road.

Evan Raptis confirmed to The Bulletin no one was injured on-site and Raptis Group were “talking directly with the crane company who are working to understand the issue”.

The Raptis Group website describes the tower when finished as “rising 30-levels with 360 degree views from the ocean to hinterland, PEARL Main Beach will be a statement in architectural style on sought-after Main Beach Parade.”

A spokesperson from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland said Tuesday’s crane incident at Pearl Main Beach was being investigated.

“WHSQ inspectors are currently on site continuing their investigations,” they said.

“Fortunately, there were no injuries as a result of the incident. While the site hasn’t been shut down, the crane cannot be used until WHSQ engineers complete comprehensive inspections and it has been certified by expert crane engineers that it is safe to use.”