A longtime, beloved employee of the Philadelphia Zoo died after a golf cart fell on top of him while he was working Monday morning.
The victim was a mechanic who was working alone in a maintenance garage, co-worker Michelle Jamison said.
"The golf cart, from what I've been told, was up on a lift and somehow fell on him," said Jamison, who is also a union health and safety representative at the zoo.
When the worker did not show up to a regular 10 a.m. meeting, his boss sent someone over to the garage to check on him. They found him pinned under the cart.
The man, 59, was pronounced dead just before noon after he was rushed to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. His name is not being released until family members are notified.
Jamison said the death was very upsetting, especially for people who knew the victim.
"Beautiful person. The nicest man you'd ever want to meet," Jamison said. "My heart is broken."
Dana Lombardo, Director of Communications for the zoo, said the victim was a "great friend and well-respected colleague. He was a big part of our zoo family," she said. "It's a very sad day here. He will be missed terribly."
Grief counselors are being made available for zoo staff.
Lombardo said as far as anyone could recall, it may be the first time a worker had died on the job at the Philadelphia Zoo.