Northdale Man Killed in Elevator Accident at St. Pete Beach Resort

A Northdale area man working in an elevator shaft at the TradeWinds Resort Hotel Wednesday, April 25 was killed when the elevator crushed him.

Mark Allen Johnson, 45, of Sawgrass Circle, had been working on the elevator with another man for about 40 minutes.

They were cleaning oil from the shaft, when the elevator fell on top of Johnson, investigators said. The other worker was not hurt.

The elevator was locked by hotel maintenance at the St. Pete Beach resort prior to the men beginning their work, according to investigators.

The two workers were with SWS Environmental Services.

Pinellas County Sheriff's deputies are investigating the incident as an accidental death.

The accident occurred at the Tradewinds Jacaranda Beach Villas, 5500 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach.

WTSP, BayNews9 and other media outlets on the scene reported at 11:15 a.m. that the Pinellas County Sheriff confirmed there was a fatal elevator accident at the TradeWinds Resort.

WTSP reports that a worker was in an elevator shaft, when the elevator dropped on top of him.

According to WTSP's tweet: "St. Pete Beach Fire Marshall says man cleaning underneath elevator at TradeWinds was crushed & killed. ThyssenKrupp Elevator truck on scene."