YOUTH WHO FELL INTO ELEVATOR SHAFT RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL

A Cape Girardeau boy who fell about 30 feet in an open elevator shaft under construction at L.J. Schultz School Aug. 29, was released from Southeast Missouri Hospital Monday.

The boy, Jerry Berger, 14, lives with his mother, Theresa Evans, and stepfather, Gerald Bahr, at 821 Locust.

Work on the elevator has resumed. Superintendent Neyland Clark said the district is taking action through their insurance underwriters.

"We're thankful that he's out of the hospital and doing well," Clark said.

"His injuries were less than we had feared and that's really good news," Clark said. "But it's very, very unfortunate that someone had to get hurt."

The contractor for the elevator project is Sides Construction Co. Clark said he has talked with construction company officials, who said the incident was caused by "a mistake on the workers' part. They had been very cautious up to that point," Clark said.