New York police are investigating the death of an architect who fell from a high-rise in Midtown Manhattan.
Authorities identified the victim as 52-year-old Bruno Travalja, the owner of Crown Architectural Systems. He was reportedly taking measurements for a glass barrier to be installed on a rooftop terrace of the Flatotel when witnesses said he became dizzy and plummeted almost 47 stories Thursday afternoon.
The New York Daily News reported that Travalja was wearing a safety harness, but it was not secured to anything.
His body was found on the second floor ledge of the building, only blocks away from Rockefeller Centre.
City officials ordered a halt to construction at the scene. NYPD and Department of Buildings officials are investigating the scene.
“He was the most honest, hard-working, truthful human being who ever walked the face of the planet,” his wife, Alexis Travalja, 40, told the Daily News. “It was a tragic accident.”
Travalja founded his company 11 years ago in Ridgewood, New Jersey. He was raised in Queens and attended the Pratt Institute, Ms Travalja said.
He leaves behind a 17-year-old daughter, and two sons, aged 15 and 13.
