Employee Died in Alaska Landslide Whereas Clearing Drains on Day Off, Officers Saytheinsiderinsight

The person who died in an Alaska mudslide that left three others injured has been recognized as a metropolis worker who spent practically twenty years on the job.

The incident occurred round 4:15 p.m. native time on Aug. 25, within the Ketchikan Gateway Borough of the Metropolis of Ketchikan, in line with a press release first shared by metropolis officers on Sunday.

In a second press release shared on Monday, Aug. 26, officers recognized the sufferer as metropolis worker and upkeep technician Sean Griffin, who was raised in Ketchikan.

Per metropolis officers, Griffin was responding to a name for help on his time off when he died within the accident. He and one other group member “have been clearing stormwater drains after they have been caught within the landslide on the Third Avenue Bypass,” they added.

Griffin spent 17 years working for the town’s Public Works division. Metropolis officers stated he “was a valued member” of the group, the place he first served as a stable waste collector earlier than changing into a stable waste facility operator. He then grew to become a streets upkeep technician and was ultimately promoted to senior upkeep technician.

“He spent his life serving his household and his neighborhood,” metropolis officers stated, noting that Griffin adopted in his mom’s footsteps by going into public service. Additionally they described Griffin as “a beloved husband, father, son, neighbor, and coworker,” and remembered him for “his dedication to the neighborhood.”

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“Sean is remembered for his dedication, constructive spirit, and unwavering devotion to his household, his buddies, and to the neighborhood,” metropolis officers stated. “The EOC sends heartfelt condolences to his household, and we bear this loss with them.”

David Kiffer, mayor of Ketchikan, stated in an announcement on Sunday that he has personally “by no means seen a slide of this magnitude” in 65 years as a resident of the town. “The lack of life that we’ve encountered is heartbreaking,” he added, “and my coronary heart goes out to those that misplaced their properties.”

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a state of emergency within the space of the slide shortly after the catastrophe. The governor later offered his condolences to Griffin’s household in an announcement shared to X (previously Twitter) on Monday night.

“Rose and I are holding the Griffin household and your complete Ketchikan neighborhood shut in our hearts as we ship our deepest condolences for the tragic lack of Sean Griffin,” Dunleavy posted on the social media platform.