Is a Bridge Builder Buried in the Mackinac Bridge?
This has been talked about ever since the bridge was constructed in the late 1950’s.
Tales of bridge builders that died by falling into concrete/cement and never retrieved still circulate throughout Michigan. But is it true? Many people swear it’s true, from the outermost points of the Keweenaw Peninsula to Toledo.
The info that has been published is as follows:
Five bridge builders lost their lives while working on the Mackinac Bridge.
1) Frank Pepper, died in a diving accident.
2) While welding, James LeSarge fell into a caisson (support/watertight chamber).
3) Albert Abbott fell two feet into the water and ended up drowning.
4) Jack Baker fell 550 feet from a north tower construction catwalk.
5) A second man, Robert Koppen, fell 550 feet from the same catwalk on the same day as Jack Baker, but after searching for three days, his body was never found.
The man who fell into the caisson, James LeSarge, is the man who many believe is buried within the concrete. Bridge historians and authorities state that NO body is buried in the bridge, so it’s possible that people mix that story with the one of Robert Koppen, whose body was never recovered.
The rumors and beliefs will continue, I’m sure, but that’s the official report.
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