The young window washer who fell seven stories to his death in Washington Heights was an Ecuadorian immigrant who always put safety first and looked out for others on the job, his cousin told The News.
“He was a good worker. He prioritized safety and he would even look out for the other workers, too. That’s why it’s really tragic what happened,” Vissey Bustamante said of his 25-year-old cousin, Jahir Bustamante.
Bustamante, originally from Macara, Ecuador, immigrated to the U.S., “for a better life” around four to five years ago, Vissey, 23, said.
“In Ecuador it’s pretty bad,” the cousin explained. “There’s violence, and there’s no work.”
Upon arriving in the U.S., Bustamante moved in with Vissey’s family in New Jersey and picked up work at Vissey’s father’s window washing company.
“My dad always taught him — and taught all the guys that worked for us — all about safety,” Vissey said. “Everything was safety first because that line of work is very, very dangerous.”
The cousin said his father, Bustamante’s godfather, showed him the ropes, after which Bustamante moved on to different window-washing companies, where he worked on taller buildings.
“He was really good at it,” Vissey said. “Some guys learn but they’re not good at it because they just don’t like it. But he actually liked it and he was good at it.”
Bustamante was washing windows on Sunday at the Columbia University’s School of Nursing on W. 168th St. near Broadway when he plunged more than 70 feet to his death around 9:10 a.m., police said.
“[Bustamante’s] brother Carlos called my dad. He was crying,” Vissey recalled. “My dad said, ‘What happened? Why are you crying?’ He said, ‘My brother, he fell.’ It was terrible. Terrible.”
Police initially said Bustamante’s safety harness had snapped. Vissey said their family had heard it was the ropes that broke.
The state Labor Department, which took over the investigation, declined to comment when asked what caused the fall.
“We are deeply saddened that on Sunday, October 19, a contracted vendor died in a tragic accident while working on the exterior of an existing building on the Columbia University Irving Medical Center campus,” Columbia spokesman Adam Stephan wrote in a statement. “Our sincere condolences are with the deceased’s family, friends, co-workers and community.”
Stephan added that both Columbia staff and the contracting company are “fully cooperating” with authorities in their investigation.
“When we found out, it was heartbreaking,” Vissey said. “He was someone I grew up with. He was someone I’ve seen my whole life, so it’s terrible to hear that news. He was amazing. He would make everyone laugh. He was so kind, so caring. Really, really nice guy.”
In Ecuador, Bustamante was a professional soccer player, his cousin said.
“He was really good. He was still really good,” Vissey said. “He would play in a Sunday league, him and his friends.”
Bustamante, who lived in Kearny, N.J., leaves behind his wife, young daughter, mother, three sisters and three brothers, Vissey said.
“His daughter doesn’t know at all. She doesn’t understand,” he said, noting she can’t be more than 3 years old.
“[His mother is] heartbroken, heartbroken. They always say that it’s the kid who buries the parents. But for the parent to bury the kid is a different type of thing,” the cousin added.
An online fundraiser created by Jahir’s brother Carlos had raised more than $23,000 as of Friday.
“With great sadness, we share the passing of my dear brother, Jahir Bustamante, who in life was a beloved and greatly appreciated person by all who knew him,” the brother wrote in a statement. “His loss has left an immense wound in our hearts.”
With Rocco Parascandola
