According to a report from the Cameron County Sheriff's Office confirmed by The Wall Street Journal on May 28, Jose Luis Bautista Jr., an employee of Delta Fabrication and Machine, fell to his death on May 15. The cause of death was blunt force trauma.
The accident occurred while modifications were being made to a building designed to house SpaceX's next-generation Starship rocket. Starbase is a corporate city established by SpaceX in 2025 and serves as a hub for Starship development. Bautista was working inside the building with his brother, replacing steel structures at the time of the incident.
The report indicates that Bautista was using a scissor lift to ascend approximately 40 to 50 feet. He then secured himself to a steel beam that was about 60 feet high using a safety harness and strap. The beam weighed approximately 7,700 pounds.
Shortly after, the beam tilted and collapsed. Bautista fell, striking a metal structure before landing on the concrete floor. He was transported to a hospital but was pronounced dead.
The site supervisor stated to authorities that Bautista may have believed the beam was secured to the ground. However, this is merely the account of a site representative and not the final result of the safety investigation.
While the sheriff's office has concluded the death was accidental, OSHA's workplace safety investigation is still ongoing. Delta and SpaceX did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Wall Street Journal.
Starbase city officials expressed condolences to the family but noted that issues related to SpaceX's workplace fall outside the city's jurisdiction.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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