A Carmeuse employee was killed on Friday in an accident at the company’s underground mine at Cisco.
Joshua Clapham, 24, of Morganton, died after a “mobile equipment accident,” according to a press release issued by the company.
Clapham was in his first week working for the company, according to Kevin Whyte, a lawyer representing Carmeuse.
Clapham, who was born in South Africa, became an American citizen in 2019, according to his obituary.
Whyte said he could not discuss details of the accident because it was currently under investigation by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). He said operations at the mine, which employs nine workers, were shut down after the accident and would not resume until after next Monday. He said the mine would reopen only after being given the OK by MSHA. Whyte did say that the “mobile device” being used by Clapham was called a “man lift basket.”
“This was a terrible, terrible accident,” Whyte said. “Everyone feels terrible about what happened.”
The news release said Carmeuse was proving “assistance and support” to its employees.
Clapham is survived by his wife, Ashley, his parents and other family members.