Family searches for answers after worker dies at APS power plant

ARLINGTON, AZ – Mike Olver was three days into a 10-day contract at an Arizona Public Service power plant west of Buckeye.

Everything seemed to be fine when he spoke to his wife Jenny on the morning of November 7.

“He was in a good mood,” she said.

She ended the conversation by telling him she loved him. They later exchanged a quick text message about plans for Thanksgiving brunch.

That afternoon, she received a call from his supervisor at the California-based company where he worked. Mike was a senior valve technician and traveled to power plants and refineries across the country.

“There had been an accident, but he didn’t really know anything,” she said.

She wasn’t immediately worried.

“I thought, ‘Okay, maybe he broke an arm.'”

But then another phone call came with devastating news. The call came just as she was picking up her granddaughter from school in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the couple lives.

“I finally found out in the parking lot of her school, and I was…just screaming hysterically,” she said.

Jenny and two of Mike’s four daughters, Brianna Olver and Falon Olver, spoke to ABC15 in a Zoom interview on Friday from their respective homes in California and Texas.

The Maricopa County Medical Examiner said the death of 50-year-old Mike Olver was accidental, resulting from blunt force trauma. But other than that, the family says they have little information.

“We just want to know what happened,” Jenny Olver said. “And we don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”

The Arizona Department of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) confirmed to ABC15 that they are investigating to see if there have been any workplace safety violations. But that investigation could take up to six months.

The Olver family said they are interested in talking to anyone who may have information.

“Every contractor that was working, APS, I want to know what happened. I don’t know how we’re going to get through the holidays without having answers,” Brianna said.

ABC15 has reached out to the company Mike Olver worked for but has not heard back.

APS issued a statement:

“We are deeply saddened by the death of a contractor at the Redhawk Power Plant last week. There were no consequences to other persons in the factory, the public or factory operations as a result of the incident. An investigation is underway. The safety of our crews and customers will always be a top priority for APS.”

ABC15 also reached out to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office on Friday morning, but they have not yet provided any details.

For now, the family is trying to take comfort in their memories as they make plans for a… celebration of his life set on November 30.

“He loved and adored his family,” Brianna said. “He always talked about his cute wife and how he got married. He was so proud of my sister (Falon) in the Navy.”

Falon said her father was very reliable and helped with several moves during her time in the U.S. Navy.

‘He would be the first to say, ‘Yes, I will do it. I’ll help you. ”

He was a skilled mechanic, known as the ‘Car Whisperer’ for his ability to solve car problems.

The family had planned a trip to Lake Tahoe this Thanksgiving, where Mike planned to smoke a brisket and cook his famous smoked turkey.

“We’re going to try to recreate his turkey,” Jenny said, her voice cracking with emotion. “It’s like he’s such a presence, this huge presence in our lives.”

Email ABC15 investigator Anne Ryman at [email protected]call her at 602-685-6345, or connect via X, formerly known asTweetAndFacebook