Crane collapses on Florida home, officials say

Crane collapses onto Florida home, no injuries reported

Crews worked Tuesday to remove a crane that toppled onto a home in Merritt Island, causing significant damage but no injuries. The crane operator had been attempting to replace a telephone pole behind the house when the collapse happened, the family said.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A crane collapsed onto a home in Merritt Island on Wednesday, according to the company that owns the equipment.

Crane collapses on Brevard County home

What we know:

Crews worked Tuesday to remove a crane that toppled onto a home in Merritt Island, causing significant damage but no injuries.

Big Iron International confirmed the crash but declined to provide further details.

The home, located on Mackeral Drive, was vacant when the crane fell. The homeowners Jim and Amanda Crane — in a twist of irony — said they watched the heavy equipment fall across the roof of the house they’ve lived in for 40 years. The machine lay on its side, its eight massive tires facing the street, with the boom stretched across the top of the home.

A leaning streetlight and water pooling around the property added to the scene. 

The crane operator had been attempting to replace a telephone pole behind the house when the collapse happened, the family said.

Jim Crane was home at the time and rushed to get two of the family’s dogs to safety. His wife was away at the veterinarian’s office with their third dog.

Overhead footage showed the boom spanning the home’s roofline. 

Why did the crane fall?

What we don't know:

It was not immediately clear what caused the crane to fall or the extent of the damage to the home. 

Crane falls on Merritt Island home 8/13/2025 | CREDIT: SKYFOX

What they're saying:

Homeowner Jim Crane said he believes the crane crushed a water main during the operation, sending water and sand gushing into the street and undermining one of the machine’s stabilizing outriggers.

"They washed all the sand out from underneath the outrigger on the crane … and it toppled over and went right through my house," he said.

The Cranes said they plan to stay with neighbors in their close-knit community while repairs and investigations continue. 

What's next:

Representatives from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and AT&T are inspecting the damage and attempting to determine the cause of the crane's collapse.