Kelowna crane collapse victims honoured with high-visibility vests

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The victims in Monday’s deadly crane collapse in Kelowna are being remembered by people across the province.

Four of five people killed in the incident were working at the construction site the crane was on when it fell over onto an adjacent building. In the wake of the tragedy, many people have been putting high-visibility vests outside their homes to show their support for the construction industry, as well as the grieving families.

The movement was started by Alicia Anne Haftner, who says it’s just one way to show those who lost their lives some love.

She says a member of her own family was working at a construction site near the collapse Monday.

“I wasn’t sure which one he was at but I hear from a friend a block away that he watched it happen and knew that there was going to be some casualties,” she told NEWS 1130.

“As soon as I heard that, I was just like, I need to go grab a viz vest and put it out and just make sure that everyone knows that they’re so important, what they do. I just wanted to make sure that their memories and everything were just kept alive,” Haftner added.

She says she can’t imagine the heartbreak the families must be experiencing.

“It just instantly sparked something to go out and try and do something to kind of show them that we’re standing out, and we’re strong, and we’re going to help them through this tragedy,” she explained.

Safety vests/jackets popping up in #Kelowna as people honour the 5 men killed in crane collapse. "I can't even imagine what those families are going through," one person told me. "It just kind of hit me hard and I wanted to do something to show my support." @NEWS1130 @CityNewsVAN pic.twitter.com/vfHrL0zjMZ

— Monika Gul (@MonikaGul) July 14, 2021

Her idea has taken off. Many others who were also looking to show their support have taken it upon themselves to hang up high-visibility vests of their own in recent days.

“This sort of accident, you can only think of it happening somewhere else and never in your hometown. Kelowna, we’re a good community and we’re very helpful with one another, and always look out for our neighbours,” said Anthony Eneas, a Kelowna local who’s remembering those lost in the fall.

Eneas has a son who works in the construction industry, so the tragedy hit close to home.

“I can’t imagine. My heart and my prayers go out to the families for their loss,” he told NEWS 1130. “Some people have said great things about [the victims] on social media as well. I don’t know who they are, but it’s a tragedy.”

After seeing the idea on social media, Eneas went out and bought a high-visibility vest, which he hung by the front door.

“Just to honour it, I took a picture and posted it. Just kind of took off from there,” he said.

Kim Johnston says she knows many people in the construction industry, including her partner. She herself works at a heavy equipment school.

“My neighbour actually knows four of the five people that have passed. And I saw a business that was close to where the accident happened and they had put out a high-viz vest out just as a show of support,” she recalled.

She decided to do the same, noting how close to home the incident hit for her.

“I put one out on the front of my house and I wrote a little message on it. And after I did that, family and friends of mine on Facebook liked and shared,” Johnston said.

She says overnight, people started to post more photos and stories, many about the men who passed away.

“I think in the back of your mind, I’m always worried about my other half going to work,” Johnston said. “We don’t see a lot of things like this. I think we were shocked.”

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The idea seems to have been inspired by people putting out hockey sticks in the wake of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, to remember those killed.

“Hopefully we all will get through together,” Eneas said.

The cause of the crane collapse remains unclear at this time.

Four of the people killed in the incident have been identified as workers on the construction site. A fifth person, who was working in an adjacent building, was also confirmed dead on Tuesday, after their body was pulled from the rubble.

-With files from Jonathan Szekeres