An incident at a New Port Richey city lift station has claimed the life of a utilities worker and left another injured. The New Port Richey Police Department reported that the event occurred near Bandura Avenue and Ashmore Drive, where both workers were carrying out routine maintenance. The employee who was injured has since been treated and released from the hospital. The nature of the incident, which happened on Monday, is currently undergoing investigation by authorities, who initially believe what transpired was accidental, according to FOX 13 News.
The deceased worker has been identified by his daughter as Gary Greger, a city utilities mechanic and seasoned operator of the vacuum truck. "He was down in the well of the lift station when the accident happened," Cassidy Greger said in a statement obtained by 10 Tampa Bay News, adding that an electric shock might to have been the main cause, although an official autopsy is pending. The local fire department's response to an electrocution call aligns with the family's assertion, although a full investigation is ongoing to determine the precise circumstances that led to Greger's death.
While details remain scarce, the impact of the tragedy has rippled through the community and the heart of Greger's family. "She hurts the most for her young son, who was the apple of her father's eye," reported 10 Tampa Bay News, channeling the grief that Cassidy Greger is grappling with in the aftermath of her father's untimely passing. His coworkers communicated to her that Greger had done nothing wrong when the incident unfolded.
As the inquiry into this fatal incident progresses, the New Port Richey Police Department has urged residents to steer clear of the area to ease the investigation efforts. The identity of the second worker involved has not yet been disclosed, and police maintain that their investigation remains active to surely determine all contributing factors. Further updates from the authorities are anticipated in the coming days, as a community waits to understand the full scope of a day that turned tragic for two of their own. The city confirmed to WFLA the fatal outcome following what was described as routine work.
