Police identified the worker as 47-year-old Gary Greger, who died on the job Monday. His co-worker, Emanuel Garcia, was hurt but survived.
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — A New Port Richey, Florida, utilities mechanic is being remembered as a devoted father and grandfather after he died on the job Monday.
Police identified the worker as 47-year-old Gary Greger. He was injured while working at a city-owned lift station on Bandura Avenue and Ashmore Drive. His co-worker, Emanuel Garcia, was hurt but survived.
Greger’s daughter, Cassidy, says her father loved his work.
“He’s being remembered for all his hard work, and I love that because he loved working,” Cassidy said. “He never used vacation time.”
The sudden loss has left Cassidy grieving the milestones her father won’t be there to witness.
“One of the things for me is, [I always thought] my dad is going to grow old and watch my son grow up,” she said. “I’m trying to plan a wedding now that he should be walking me down the aisle.”
In his final moments, Greger wasn’t alone. Garcia rushed to his side and tried to save him.
“He jumped down and tried to do CPR on my dad and did everything that he could do,” Cassidy recalled.
Both families met in the hours after the accident, sharing tears and grief.
“His daughter hugged me, and we were crying together, and she felt a little bit of guilt because her dad was alive and not mine. But I told her, there doesn’t need to be two daughters that lost a dad today,” Cassidy said.
Cassidy says she’s received conflicting information about what exactly caused her father’s death and is seeking answers.
“I just know that I was told electrocution was the main culprit, and even if he did have a heart attack, he still got electrocuted — or are we changing the story now about that?” she said.
She’s requested all the reports and documents related to the investigation into what happened.
In a statement, City Manager Debbie Manns praised Garcia and first responders for their “heroic efforts” to try and save Greger.
For now, Cassidy is holding onto memories and focusing on her 7-year-old son, who adored his grandfather.
“My dad was his everything. He loved his Pawpaw,” she said.
Greger is survived by his daughter, his fiancé and his grandson. He would have turned 48 on Saturday.
The investigation into what happened is ongoing.
