The Ontario Ministry of Labour is investigating after a veteran set dresser was accidentally struck and killed by falling debris on the Toronto waterfront location for the US$100-million Jumper shoot.

David Ritchie, 56, was working with two other set dressers Thursday afternoon at an outdoor location at 75 Commissioners Street when the accident occurred.

‘On behalf of the entire production, it is with profound sadness that we confirm this tragic accident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to David Ritchie’s family at this time,’ said Karen Pidgurski, the unit publicist, in a statement. The sci-fi thriller is directed by Doug Liman and stars Samuel L. Jackson and Hayden Christensen.

Staff Sgt. Joanne Verbeek, a police officer with Toronto’s 51 Division, told Playback Daily that three workers were taking down an exterior set with earth and sand stuck to its walls when sections of frozen debris fell and crushed Ritchie.

The set dresser was pronounced dead at the scene, a second worker was rushed to hospital with serious head and shoulder injuries, while a third man escaped injury. The names of the other men have not been released.

‘It was just an unfortunate, fluke accident,’ says Verbeek.

The exterior set was being struck for shipment to Baja, CA for reshoots of key outdoor scenes.

According to eyewitness reports, a giant excavator and a front-end loader were used to remove earth around the exterior set, which comprised huge 30-foot timbers covered with earth, grass and sand for scenic effect.

Ritchie and fellow set dressers then approached the wall with hand shovels to remove materials that the equipment operators could not reach.

Investigators will be looking to see whether the excavation and accompanying vibration helped dislodge huge chunks of sand and earth that rained down on Ritchie and his colleagues while they worked beside the structure.

‘The structure remained intact. What fell was frozen earth and sand that’s as heavy as concrete,’ said one crew member who did not want to be identified.

Police and ambulances were called to the outdoor location after a call to 9-11 at 2:22 p.m. on Thursday. A coroner reached the site on Thursday night, and on Friday officials with the Ontario Ministry of Labour continued their investigation into the workplace mishap.

The set dressers were unionized, so Ministry of Labour investigators will also consider whether workplace safety standards were ignored.