A 24-year-old New Jersey roofing contractor suffered life-threatening injuries after falling from a roof and landing on a pointed metal railing over the weekend.
The accident happened Saturday afternoon at a home on Wychwood Road in Westfield, New Jersey, where the roofer was reportedly inspecting a roof in preparation for providing an estimate for repairs.
According to Westfield Police Chief Christopher Battiloro, emergency dispatchers received a 911 call at approximately 1:34 p.m. reporting that a man had fallen from the roof of a home and was seriously injured.
The caller reported that the roofer landed on the pointed metal edge of a staircase railing, causing a severe puncture wound to his chest and significant bleeding.
The injured contractor was later identified through a GoFundMe fundraiser as 24-year-old Westfield resident Stavros Makris.
The first Westfield police officer reportedly arrived at the scene approximately three and a half minutes after the initial 911 call. Despite the severity of his injuries, Makris was conscious and alert. Responders found a significant chest wound near his right armpit.
The Westfield Fire Department applied a chest seal before Makris was transported to a nearby landing zone at Echo Lake Park in Mountainside. From there, a New Jersey State Police helicopter flew him to University Hospital in Newark for emergency treatment.
According to the fundraiser organized on his behalf, the railing punctured Makris’ lung and caused extensive injuries to his chest and ribs, including broken and dislocated ribs.
Makris has undergone multiple surgeries and could remain hospitalized for several weeks. His recovery is expected to continue well beyond his eventual release from the hospital.
The Westfield Police Department’s Detective Bureau investigated the incident and determined that the fall was accidental.
Fundraiser Launched to Help With Medical and Living Expenses
Friends have launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking $250,000 to assist Makris with medical bills, recovery costs, living expenses and lost income while he is unable to work.
The fundraiser describes Makris as someone who has put considerable effort into starting and building his own company and whose livelihood depends on his ability to perform physical work.
“For someone like Stavros, who makes his living working with his hands and has poured everything into starting and building his own company, an accident of this magnitude changes everything overnight,” the fundraiser states.
The campaign says Makris faces not only the immediate challenge of recovering from his injuries and surgeries but also the financial consequences of being unable to work for an extended period.
Those wishing to learn more about Makris’ recovery or contribute to his expenses can visit the GoFundMe campaign:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-stavros-makris-recover-from-a-lifethreatening-roofing
Makris was reportedly inspecting the roof to prepare a repair estimate rather than performing an active roofing installation when the fall occurred.
