Man who died in 30-foot fall was flying kite at work, company says

A Bellflower valve technician who died after falling through a skylight at his Santa Fe Springs workplace was flying a kite when the accident occurred last week, a company representative said Friday.

The man, 53-year-old Perry Wayne Isham, was a supervisor and 15-year employee of Southern California Valve Co.

The company representative said Isham was not performing work-related duties when he fell 30 feet through a skylight around 2:30 p.m. on June 7, when he was scheduled to work a half-day. The accident occurred at the company's manufacturing facility on Maryton Avenue.

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating the incident. Southern California Valve is conducting its own investigation, the company representative said.

The state investigation -– expected to take three to four months -– will include an inspection of the work site, interviews with possible witnesses and a review of safety protocols, said Erika Monterroza, a Cal/OSHA spokeswoman.

Though Southern California Valve says Isham was not working at the time of the incident, employers are required to report to Cal/OSHA any injury, illness or fatality that happens at the workplace, Monterroza said.

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Image: Map shows where a man fell through a skylight and died in Santa Fe Springs. Source: Google Maps