Rafael Peralta, 56, killed in construction incident near Roosevelt Field mall in Uniondale

Nassau police are investigating the death Friday morning of a construction worker who had been underground and was submerged by a water main break near the Roosevelt Field mall in Uniondale.

Officers who responded to the 11:13 a.m. call near Ring Road, which encompasses the mall, found Rafael Peralta, 56, of West Babylon, who had been pulled above ground by colleagues after the incident, the Nassau County Police Department said in a news release.

Peralta was given life-saving measures at the scene, the release said. He was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Brian Devine, a spokesperson for the Town of Hempstead, which provides water throughout much of its territory, told Newsday Peralta was "a private contractor working on a private main and hydrant." The man's employer, as well as the owner of the damaged utility pipe, were not immediately known.