Ernest Appau (Provided by Watson Agyei Dwomoh)
BUFORD, Ga. - A 56-year-old warehouse employee died after being crushed under a loading ramp at a Buford industrial park, leaving his grieving family searching for answers after weeks without corporate communication, according to his relatives.
What we know:
Ernest Appau, 56, died on Sept. 9 after becoming trapped between a loading ramp and a truck at the Global Industrial warehouse on Mill Center Parkway NE, according to a Gwinnett County police report.
A coworker noticed Appau pinned beneath the ramp and worked with other employees to lift it off him before responding paramedics pronounced Appau dead.
Appau had worked for the equipment supply company for about 23 years.
His brother, Watson Agyei Dwomoh, who works as a truck driver, was on a delivery route when he received the call informing him of his brother's death.
Dwomoh said Appau moved to Georgia after winning an American lottery, while his wife and children remain in Ghana trying to arrange travel to the state for his burial.
The family has created a GoFundMe page to help cover burial expenses, stating they cannot hold the funeral until the overseas family members arrive.
The Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office has taken over the investigation into Appau's death, according to police.
What they're saying:
"We are more than confused," Dwomoh said, adding that no one has explained how the fatal event occurred.
"We don't think this could happen to him, because he is very, very, very careful in his doing whatever he does. He's very, very careful."
Dwomoh expressed the deep loss felt across their family following the tragic loss.
"We lost a very heavy thing," Dwomoh said. "He is our right hand."
"While no words or contribution can take away the pain of losing him, every gesture of support is deeply appreciated," organizers wrote on the family's fundraiser page.
To see the GoFundMe, click here.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not released official findings explaining how the loading ramp failed or became pinned on top of Appau.
Neither the family nor their retained attorney has been able to establish contact with representatives from Global Industrial regarding the circumstances surrounding his death, according to the family.
FOX 5 Atlanta has reached out to Global Industrial for further comment.
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The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a Gwinnett County police report, statements provided to FOX 5 Atlanta by Watson Agyei Dwomoh, and public details published on the family's GoFundMe campaign page.