Elevator Worker Dies At TripAdvisor's Massachusetts HQ

NEEDHAM, MA — An elevator worker was killed in an accident at TripAdvisory's Needham headquarters Tuesday morning. The man was identified as James Jacobs, 52, of Westport. He worked for Otis Elevator Company.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim, the victim's family and coworkers," Needham police said in a statement.

Police said someone called around 8:30 a.m to report an industrial accident at the building. Jacobs was pronounced dead shortly after first responders arrived.

Jacobs worked for the elevator company for nearly three years, according to his LinkedIn profile. He attended UMass Dartmouth in the late 1980s and early 1990s after graduating from Dartmouth High School in 1985.

Jacobs' death is believed to have been an accident and is being investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Massachusetts State Police and Needham Police Department.

"No TripAdvisor employees were harmed, and our thoughts are with the worker's family and colleagues during this time," TripAdvisor officials said in a statement.

Elevator repair work can be dangerous, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. Incidents involving elevators and escalators kill about 30 people annually and seriously injure another 17,000 people each year in the U.S., according to the CDC. Injuries to people working on or near elevators account for nearly half of those deaths.

"Otis is deeply saddened to learn that we lost a team member at a jobsite this morning," a company representative said in a statement. "Our most sincere and heartfelt condolences go out to the family of the deceased. We are working to gather more information about this incident as quickly as possible. There is nothing more important to Otis than the safety of our employees, customers and the people who rely on our products and services every day."

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).