Eric Stemmer with family
Image Credit: GoFundMe
July 13, 2021 - 3:47 PM
Online fundraisers have been set up for the families of some of the workers killed in a crane collapse in Kelowna yesterday.
Five workers were killed when the construction crane collapsed in downtown Kelowna yesterday, July 12. One man died in hospital and the other three men died at the site of the industrial accident. The fifth man, believed to be a worker in a consulting firm that was hit by the crane when it fell, is buried in rubble.
A GoFundMe for the Stemmer family has already raised more than $20,000 since its creation today, July 13. The fundraiser names two brothers, Eric and Patrick Stemmer, who died in the industrial accident.
“These men are husbands, fathers, sons, friends and chosen family to so many, this sudden loss is nothing short of heartbreaking,” writes GoFundMe organizer Emily Roy of Salmon Arm.
READ MORE: Five men dead in Kelowna crane collapse
“The lives of Katie (children: Oaklyn and Tillie, and baby on route) and Nakita (children: Henley and Hayden) will never be the same. So much has changed in such a short time span and these women are bravely tackling grief and figuring everything out as they go. We need to be there for them and support them in this time of tragedy and loss.”
A fundraiser was for the parents of Jared Zook, who also died in the accident, is also underway.
Jared Zook
Image Credit: GoFundMe
The funds will be used cover funeral costs, lost wages and travel, as parents Steven and Pam Zook live in Edmonton area and any other unexpected expenses, according to fundraiser organizer Christa Walker from Sylvan Lake, Alta. It has raised more than $10,000 so far.
The Zook fundraiser can be found here and the Stemmer fundraiser can be found here.
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