LADY LAKE, Fla. — Authorities have released the name of the worker who died in a construction accident in Lake County on Wednesday.

John Joseph Terranova, 27, of Leesburg died during an accident at the bridge construction site on U.S. Highway 27/441 in Lady Lake, according to the Lady Lake Police Department. Terranova was working in a freshly dug hole and was trapped when the walls caved in on him, investigators said.

Police said a worker with Maylor Foundation Contractors called 911 around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday to report the accident. Rescue crews first tried unsuccessfully to get Terranova out using hand tools.

Emergency workers then continued through the night, recovering his body more than 10 hours later.

His fiancé Brianna Marie shares with Spectrum News 13 what type of a father he was to the couple's son. 

"He was a wonderful father to his child and sacrificed so much for his family literally. That man was perfect to me, our own little family we made. He sacrificed just his time and effort always, he was always trying to be better," Marie stated in a text message.

She continued about how difficult it has been since receiving the news of his death.

"He wanted to be the best he could be. I love him so much, it is just still a big dark cloud. I’m missing a big piece of my life now. I have to be strong for our son," she stated.

John Joseph Terranova with his son. (Photo courtesy of Brianna Marie)

Police don’t suspect criminal activity and said no external trauma to the victim was discovered at the scene. Authorities are waiting on the medical examiner’s findings.

OSHA is reviewing the incident and work has been halted at the site in the interim.

The construction project is part of the Florida Department of Transportation’s road widening project in the area. A spokesperson for FDOT sent News 13 a statement, saying: “Safety is always the highest priority. Work on the project has been paused while investigations continue and crews re-emphasize safety in the work zone."

Maylor Foundation Contractors is a subcontractor for Southland Construction, which is the primary construction company for the road project, according to police. Southland Construction has had three prior OSHA safety inspections since 2017, according to OSHA inspection data. Two of those inspections had violations labeled as serious.

Read the full FDOT statement below:

“The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is deeply saddened to hear about the recent incident that took place within the ongoing U.S. 441 road widening project in Lady Lake. The FDOT offers its sincere condolences to the family and friends of the worker involved in this incident. Safety is always the highest priority in everything the FDOT does – not just for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists, but for the workers who shape the roadways throughout the state.

The worker involved was a subcontractor working on the construction project. Work on the project has paused while investigations continue and crews re-emphasize safety in the work zone. Additional details are pending investigation.”