Tower tech dies after 100-foot fall

On Monday, 1 December 2025, tragedy struck the small community of Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin. At around 10:30 a.m., 41‑year‑old tower technician Gere Thomas Walden fell roughly 100 feet from a 300‑foot cell tower during maintenance work. Despite the rapid response of emergency crews, the South Carolina native succumbed to his injuries at the site. Walden, a father from Roebuck, SC, leaves behind a young son and a close‑knit network of colleagues and friends who describe him as dedicated, humble and fiercely proud of his work.

Walden had been wearing a fall‑protection harness at the time of the incident, but investigators do not yet know whether he was properly secured or whether an equipment failure occurred. He was part of a Cross Communications crew performing maintenance services for an SBA Communications–owned guyed tower, which stands 300 feet tall and hosts multiple tenants. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation to determine what went wrong.

Long before he became a tower technician, Walden built single‑story steel structures. In 2014 he answered an advert for tower work and quickly developed a passion for the trade. Over the next eleven years, he honed his skills and found a deep camaraderie with fellow climbers, forming bonds forged in steel and shared danger. Friends say the highlight of his life was coming home from distant job sites to spend time with his young son.

This tragic loss is the fifth tower‑technician fatality recorded in 2025. After years of decline—from a high of 14 deaths in 2013 to just two deaths in 2023 and 2024—the industry’s progress appears to be slipping backwards. Many technicians have been sidelined as the 5G build‑out slows, yet fatalities have surged. Walden’s death is not just a statistic; it is a personal, devastating reminder that every climb comes with risks and that safety protocols must be continually reinforced and improved.

As the investigation continues, the Tower Family Foundation and Walden’s employer are working to support his family. The broader HSE community can honour Walden’s memory by recommitting to rigorous training, robust fall‑protection systems and a culture where workers feel empowered to speak up about hazards. May this sorrowful event galvanise all of us to ensure that every worker returns home safely.