At the time of the freak storm, which brought down the roof, several IATSE Local 30 members were working the show. Luckily, the collapse did not occur a few minutes earlier when a dozen people were on the stage changing from the opening act to the headliner. Unfortunately, the truss spot operators were already in their perches in the roof.
When the roof collapsed, four Local 30 members were in the air. Nathan Byrd and Steve Stover were both sent to the hospital in critical condition.
Byrd passed away later that night. He was 51 and leaves behind two teenage children.
Kyle Covert‘s leg was broken in the fall and the fourth operator Enoch Vinegar is reported to have been “just banged up.”
The I.A.T.S.E. Local 30 Disaster Relief Fund was established to help Byrd’s family and others hurt in the collapse.
Donations can be sent to:
I.A.T.S.E. Local 30 Disaster Relief Fund
1407 E. Riverside Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46202
For more information, visit: http://www.iatse30.org/
