28-year-old father of 6 killed while working at steel plant in NW Indiana, union says
BURNS HARBOR, Ind. (WLS) -- A 28-year-old father of six was killed while working at a steel plant in northwest Indiana, steel workers union officials and family members told ABC7.
The incident happened earlier this week at Cleveland Cliffs Burns Harbor Plant in Burns Harbor, Indiana, USW Local 9231 Director Mike Millsap said in a statement Saturday.
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A man, who was married and a father to six children, was killed in an accident while operating a pot hauler, Millsap said.
Family members and union officials identified the man to ABC7 as 28-year-old Jonathan Stepp.
According to the union, Stepp was working for a company called Phoenix Services, owned by SunCoke Energy Inc. A spokesperson for Cleveland Cliffs calls the death an "isolated incident."
"IUOE Local 150 is mourning the tragic loss of Brother Jonathan Stepp, a 28-year-old second-generation Operating Engineer who lost his life in an industrial accident while working for Phoenix. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jonathan's family, friends, coworkers, and all who knew and loved him during this difficult time," a statement from IUOE Local 150 read in part. "The steel and slag industry is dangerous work, and this tragedy is a painful reminder that we must do everything possible to protect the men and women who perform these jobs every day."
The exact nature of the deadly incident was not yet known.
SunCoke Energy Inc. released the following statement:
"Thursday night, we suffered the tragic loss of one of our employees at our Burns Harbor, Indiana operations.
Our hearts are with his family, and we are supporting them and our team during this difficult time. The safety of our employees is our highest priority.
We have been in contact with Indiana OSHA and are fully cooperating with the agency, local authorities, and emergency responders to investigate the incident."
ABC7 has reached out to local officials for more information.
This is a developing story.
