City employee dies after incident

A Green River Parks and Recreation Department employee died after a work-related incident at the Green River Recreation Center last week.

Dave Hyer, a maintenance worker at the recreation center, was hospitalized after a lift Hyer was using tipped over at the recreation center’s gym Sept. 14.

According to city administrator Reed Clevenger, Hyer was working on a motor used to raise the basketball hoops in the gym using a lift. While working on the motor, the hoop near the lift started to raise, tipping the lift over. Hyer was transported to University of Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake City. Hyer died Friday at the medical center.

“It’s definitely an unfortunate accident,” Clevenger said.

Hyer had worked at the recreation center since late 2009. During the July 6, 2010, Green River City Council meeting, then-city administrator Barry Cook awarded Hyer with the Great Job Award. According to minutes from the meeting, Hyer was given the award for completing his six-month probation “with excellence, obtaining his certification for pool operator and aquatic facility operator with near perfect scores, his teamwork, his dedication, his work ethic and pleasant demeanor.”

Hyer intended to retire from his parks and recreation department job in November.

Clevenger said the city plans to host a memorial for Hyer at some point, though details of what that may entail were not finalized as of press time. Clevenger said Hyer’s funeral will take place at Hilltop Baptist Church Friday at 10 a.m., and city employees who want to attend will be given leave to do so.

Hyer previously worked as a police officer with the Green River Police Department. Hyer was hired in 1981 and retired from the department in 2004, having worked his way up to patrol sergeant. Hyer was involved in the Oct. 14, 1996, confrontation with Steven Mitchell. Hyer was one of two officers shot by Mitchell during the confrontation. Hyer was shot in the lower left arm when Mitchell fired at officers from the attic of the home he occupied. The other man shot by Mitchell, Mont Mecham, was shot in the neck. Mecham died April 3, 2017.

Clevenger said OSHA has concluded its investigation, but has yet to issue a final report.