About 10 workers nearby, including Ruiz's brother, Adolph, rushed to help. Within minutes they had lifted the 7,000-pound rafter, setting it back into place without the use of a crane. Browning said the workers had already lifted the rafter off Ruiz by the time he ran to the scene from his office. Ruiz, of Ballinger, was a five-year employee and an experienced fitter. He is survived by his wife, Guadalupe, and their two young children.
Funeral services are pending in Mexico.
About 40 employees who worked in the pre-fabrication building were sent home after the accident. Most, but not all, had returned to work Friday, Browning said. Mueller Supply is one of Ballinger's largest employers with 200 workers. Other Mueller locations are in Amarillo, Temple, Huntsville, New Braunfels, Longview, Sherman and Midlothian. Its parent company is Burly Corp. of Burleson.