A man with deep
roots in the Bremerton community was severely injured last week in
an industrial accident. John North, who grew up in
Bremerton and Belfair and only recently had moved to Puyallup, was
crushed under a lift bucket while at work Friday.
Many here are rallying to help with his recovery. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with medical expenses. He remains in St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma in the ICU, according to his mother, Mary Hoffman.
Hoffman said he was making a delivery as part of his job and was removing a bucket life off of a flat bed. As he was backing it off, it “flipped sideways” and the bucket fell on him, his mother said. The left side of his body was crushed.
“It was just a freak accident,” she said.
North was working for Pacific-based Noffke’s Towing Service. The state’s Department of Labor & Industries is investigating the accident, according to Tim Church, a spokesman.
He has a young family — seven-month-old baby and another on the way, with his fiancee, Ashlee — and he’s in for a long recovery. So far, Hoffman said she’s been amazed at how giving his friends and family have been in lending a helping hand.
“The generosity has been incredible,” she said.
I will post updates on North’s status as he recovers.
To see the fundraising page, click here.
