Charleston Daily Mail
Gilmer schools close after worker dies
Justin D. Anderson
Daily Mail Staff
Wednesday January 03, 2007
The sole maintenance man for Gilmer County Schools died Tuesday while working on a broken heating and air conditioning unit atop Gilmer County High School in Glenville.
David George Frymier, 47, likely was electrocuted sometime in the afternoon, said Ed Messenger, the county's medical examiner.
Frymier left behind a wife and two sons.
All Gilmer schools were closed today in Frymier's honor.
Messenger said this morning that it's hard to determine exactly when the accident occurred because people at the school went to look for Frymier after they'd not seen him for a couple of hours.
They found him on the roof and called Glenville police, who got to the school about 3:55 p.m., said Chief John Moss.
"It was very apparent that he was electrocuted," Moss said today.
Those who found him tried unsuccessfully to revive him, Moss said.
Frymier was changing out a 400-volt fan motor on the unit when he must have touched a bare electrical component, Messenger said.
Until an autopsy is completed, Messenger was not ready to say that electrocution was the sole cause of death.
Frymier's body has been sent to the state medical examiner's office in Charleston.
Moss said a state official was expected at the high school this morning to further investigate the scene. Moss was not sure which agency the official was with.
Ed Toman, who became schools superintendent in 2004, was not certain how long Frymier had worked for the school system, but it was several years at least, he said.
"He knows the system inside and out," Toman said today. "He's our only maintenance man."
It was still too early to talk about moving forward.
"It's a terrible tragedy and I'm just dealing with that right now," Toman said.
Larry Butcher, school board vice president, said he's known Frymier his whole life. He said Frymier was a member of the Gilmer volunteer fire department and was active in school and community.
Frymier's sons were active in sports, Butcher said.
"George attended every basketball game," he said.
Butcher said Frymier did an "outstanding" job as maintenance man for the school system.
"He was very friendly with all the schools," he said. "He was just a good guy."
In a statement, Toman wrote that Frymier "was an avid supporter of anything that pertained to Gilmer County. Whether it be athletics, church, music, or anything to do with his community, he was there."
Funeral arrangements are still pending at the Ellyson Mortuary in Glenville.
Contact writer Justin D. Anderson at justin@dailymail.com or 348-4843.
