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Man who died after being buried described as ‘loving husband, father’

Rosario “Chayo” Martinez-Lopez
Courtesy

Family members have identified the man who died Thursday at a construction site in Granby as Rosario “Chayo” Martínez, a “loving son, brother, father, husband and uncle.”

“His absence leaves a huge gap in our family,” said family member Victor Marquez. “He was kind, funny, smart, hard-working and the sole provider for his family that lives in Mexico.”

Martínez was working inside a trench Thursday morning on a condominium project in front of Base Camp One at Granby Ranch when the trench collapsed. Another worker had stepped away for a few minutes and came back to find the man buried and called 911. Dirt and other earth material had covered him, according to Granby police.

Emergency crews began digging the man out at around 10 a.m. and recovered him at 10:17 a.m. The man was unresponsive as crews immediately began to administer CPR. He was then switched to a Lucas CPR device that delivers automatic compression. He was transported to Middle Park Medical Center-Granby where he was pronounced dead.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, commonly known as OSHA, has been notified, according to Granby police. They will conduct a parallel investigation into the incident.

A fundraising page on GoFundMe has since been created to help with Martínez’s funeral and family travel expenses as they come to Colorado from Mexico, according to the family.

“We will miss him tremendously but will try to find solace in the knowledge that his spirit will remain long after his passing,” Marquez said.


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