MILWAUKEE — The family of a 24-year-old man who was killed in a workplace accident at a Milwaukee boat storage facility is remembering him as someone who never hesitated to help others.
Family members identified the victim as Cody Stelzel, a Menomonee Falls High School graduate who worked as a marine technician at CenterPointe Marine in Milwaukee.
WATCH: Family remembers 24-year-old killed in workplace accident at CenterPointe Marine
Milwaukee police said Stelzel died Thursday, May 28, after a boat tipped over at approximately 2:51 p.m. on the 700 block of S. Water St.
Police said the 24-year-old was crushed by the boat and pronounced dead at the scene.
As family members grieve, they say they are holding on to memories of a young man who loved hunting, cars, music, and working on engines.
"He was everything," his mother, Angela Best, told TMJ4 News through tears.
Keven Stelzel said his son often lived by a simple philosophy.
"He would say if he's going to go tomorrow, he wants to do everything today," he said.
According to his family, Stelzel recently moved into his own place and had just purchased a new truck that he planned to work on with his brother.
"He loved doing what he did, especially if someone would call him up and ask if he could do mechanical work on a car or on a motor. He was there," Keven Stelzel said.
The family said Stelzel had worked at CenterPointe Marine for a little more than a year.
The loss has left the family now searching for answers.
"I want to know why," Best said. "I want to know what happened."
His brother, Logan Reinke, described the hours since the accident as "a mixture between pain and grief ... a hole."
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has opened an investigation into the workplace fatality. It has six months to complete the investigation.
In a statement to TMJ4 News, CenterPointe Marine said:
"Our hearts are heavy. We remember Cody as an important part of our team, an incredibly smart young man, and a kind person. As we grieve, our prayers, thoughts, and immediate focus is on supporting his family and all who knew and loved him."
The company said it did not have additional details to share.
As the investigation continues, Stelzel's family said they are also focusing on what they describe as his final act of helping others.
Best said her son was an organ donor and will help dozens of people through donation.
"When I heard that, I broke down. Proud of him that he would do that," Reinke said.
For now, Best said she hopes people remember her son for the way he lived.
"Just for the whole world to see what a precious child he was," she said.
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