A Delta Airlines employee who died in a tire explosion in Atlanta sustained such severe injuries that his body was left “unrecognizable.” According to his grieving son, the family was able to identify his damaged body by recognizing his tattoos.
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Andre Coleman shared that his family played a crucial role in identifying his father, Mirko Marweg, 58, as one of the two airline workers tragically killed on Tuesday while preparing a plane’s wheel components for maintenance at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
“I wanted to view the body because I didn’t believe it was true. Neither did my mom,” Coleman explained to 11Alive News.
He shared that when they attempted to view Marweg, the Clayton County Medical Examiner recommended against it. They told the family that the explosion had rendered the body “unrecognizable.” Due to the extensive damage to his remains, Coleman and his family were only able to identify Marweg through his tattoos and the distinctive Mississippi State lanyard around his neck.
Marweg, an Air Force veteran known to his family as “Mr. Fix-It,” tragically passed away alongside his co-worker, 37-year-old Luis Aldarondo. Meanwhile, another maintenance worker sustained serious injuries.
The Airline Worker Killed by a Freak Tire Explosion Recounts the Last Time He Saw His Father
Coleman recounted that he had spent time with his father just two days prior to the incident. Marweg assisted in changing the oil in his son’s motorcycle.
“That’s the kind of dad he was. He was always there,” Coleman told 11Alive. “My dad was an amazing guy, wonderful father, wonderful husband.”
Delta’s Chief of Operations for TechOps, John Laughter, released a statement to all employees in response to the tragic deaths of Marweg and Aldarondo on Tuesday.
“I’m deeply saddened to share that three TechOps team members were involved in an accident that took place early this morning in Atlanta TOC 3, Dept. 391 – Wheel & Brake Shop,” Laughter wrote.
“Tragically, two of our team members involved passed away and one other team member was seriously injured,” he continued. “This news is heartbreaking for all of us.”
Meanwhile, Delta has pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into the explosion, the cause of which remains unknown. The company also clarified that the wheel parts being disassembled for maintenance were not attached to the aircraft during the incident.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is currently conducting an investigation.
The exploded tire was from a plane that flew from Las Vegas to Atlanta on Sunday night.