ARLINGTON, AZ — Mike Olver was three days into a 10-day contract job at an Arizona Public Service power plant west of Buckeye.
Everything appeared to be fine when he talked to his wife, Jenny, on the morning of November 7th.
“He was in a great mood,” she said.
She ended the call by telling him she loved him. They later exchanged a quick text message about plans for a Thanksgiving brunch.
That afternoon, she got a call from his supervisor at the California-based company where he worked. Mike was a senior valve mechanic, traveling to power plants and refineries around the country.
“There was an accident, but he really didn't know anything,” she said.
She wasn’t immediately alarmed.
“I thought, ‘Okay, well, maybe he broke an arm.’”
ABC15 is committed to finding the answers you need and holding those accountable.
Submit your news tip to Investigators@abc15.com
But then another 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 live.
“I ended up finding out in the parking lot at her school, and I was… just screaming hysterically,” she said.
Jenny and two of Mike's four daughters, Brianna Olver and Falon Olver, talked to ABC15 in a Zoom interview Friday from their respective homes in California and Texas.
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner said 50-year-old Mike Olver’s death was accidental, the result of blunt force trauma. But beyond that, the family said they have little information.
“We just want to know what happened,” said Jenny Olver. “And we don't want it to happen to anybody else.”
The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) confirmed to ABC15 that they are investigating to see if there were 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.
“Any contractor that was on the job, APS, I want to know what happened. I don't know how we get through the holidays without having any answers,” Brianna said.
ABC15 reached out to the company Mike Olver worked for but has not yet heard back.
APS provided a statement:
“We are deeply saddened by the death of a contractor at the Redhawk Power Plant last week. There were no impacts to other individuals at the plant, the public or plant operations due to 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 Friday morning, but they have not yet provided any details.
For now, the family is trying to take comfort in their memories as they plan a celebration of his life set for November 30.
“He loved and adored his family,” Brianna said. “He always talked about his cute wife and how he married up. He was so proud of my sister (Falon) in the Navy.”
Falon said her father was very dependable, including helping with multiple moves during her time in the U.S. Navy.
“He’d be the first one to say, ‘Yeah, I'll 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 re-create his turkey,” said Jenny, her voice breaking with emotion. “It's like he's such a presence, this huge presence in our lives.”
Email ABC15 Investigator Anne Ryman at anne.ryman@abc15.com, call her at 602-685-6345, or connect on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Facebook
