Two men were killed Tuesday morning after falling from a communications tower in rural Douglas County.

Emergency crews responded to the site around 9:40 a.m., two miles south of Kansas Highway 10, near East 1750 Road. Sheriff Ken McGovern said the two men, contractors for a company that rents space on the tower, fell between 500 and 800 feet from the 1,000-foot tower. They were in a bucket on the tower when the accident occurred around 9:30 a.m.

“I’ve been here 27 years,” McGovern said, “and I don’t recall anything like this. It’s horrific for the families.”

Identifications of the two men were not immediately available, pending notification of family.

KSHB, the NBC affiliate in Kansas City, reported that the two people were working there on its behalf, installing new Nextel equipment on the tower.

The accident is being investigated by McGovern’s office, the coroner and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.