José Bautista, 25, Remembered After Fatal Workplace Fall at SpaceX Starbase Facility in Texas
José Bautista, a 25-year-old worker from Donna, Texas, passed away after falling roughly eight feet from a scaffold at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in the early hours of a Friday morning.
Medical staff pronounced Bautista deceased at 5:15 a.m. at Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville.
Cameron County Justice of the Peace Mary Sorola identified Bautista and confirmed that a preliminary autopsy listed blunt force trauma as the cause.
The City of Starbase issued condolences to Bautista’s family and noted that SpaceX operations and workplace safety matters remain under SpaceX, the contracting company, and regulatory authorities.
OSHA has opened an investigation into the scaffold, equipment, safety protocols, working conditions, and related decisions from that morning.
As of Wednesday, May 20, 2026, Bautista’s family, friends, and coworkers continue to mourn a young life connected to one of the country’s most watched construction sites.
Memorial service details and funeral arrangements will be announced later by family members.
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