West Dundee Construction Worker Dies Atop Geneva Commons Bell Tower

A 47-year-old construction worker died Friday while trying to install a tower sign at the Geneva Commons on the city's west side.

Geneva firefighters responded at 11:48 a.m. for a reported rescue from the central bell tower at the open-air shopping center at 602 Commons Drive. They found two construction workers at the top of the bell tower, one conscious and the other unconscious and unresponsive, according to a Geneva community alert.

The unconscious worker was pronounced dead at the scene. Kane County Coroner Rob Russell later identified him as Donald J. Tentler, 47, of the 600 block of South Seventh Street in West Dundee.

Firefighters assisted the conscious construction worker in walking down a fire department aerial ladder and thereafter, conducted his elevated recovery that took about three hours.

A full autopsy is scheduled for Tentler is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 6. A preliminary cause and manner of death is expected to be released later that day.

The incident remained under investigation Friday evening by the Geneva Police Department, Kane County Coroner’s Office as well as the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

Fire agencies assisting Geneva at the scene included St. Charles, West Chicago and Batavia. Fermilab firefighters filled in at Geneva’s fire station during the incident.

Russell is asking community members to keep Tentler and his family in their thoughts.