Brother of Delta worker killed by exploding tire says family trying to wake up ‘from this nightmare’

ATLANTA — The family of one of two people killed in a bizarre accident at a Delta maintenance facility say it seems like a nightmare they can’t wake up from.

Investigations are underway right now to determine how it all happened.

The family of Mirko Marweg, 58, says they want answers.

“I’m not happy. I’m going through a gamut of emotions right now. I’m hurting,” brother Eric Gibson said.

Gibson was disturbed after the bizarre incident where a flying metal piece from a Boeing 757 tire hit and killed his brother and 37-year-old Luis Aldarondo on Tuesday morning.

“Essentially it sounded like he was hit with a bomb,” Gibson said.

RELATED STORIES:

• 2 workers killed during tire explosion at Atlanta airport identified
• Tire explosion sent metal ‘flying like a missile,’ killing 2 workers, witnesses say
• Delta shares details with employees on ‘heartbreaking’ deadly incident at Atlanta airport

Sources told Channel 2′s Tom Jones that Delta Tech Ops workers were moving the tire in the Wheel and Brake shop when it suddenly exploded.

They say Mirko, Aldarondo and another worker were in the path of the metal that was moving like a missile.

Gibson said Delta told his family the impact was horrific.

“He was pretty much unrecognizable. And that the only way that they could recognize him was to ask the family about tattoos and the Mississippi State lanyard he wore,” Gibson said.

Andre Coleman said his father was an amazing man.

“I miss him. There’s nothing in the world that could replace him,” Coleman said.

Gibson said his brother worked at Delta for 20-plus years and planned to retire in June.

“He would speak constantly that he had done his time. Doing the hard work. Now he was the old guy on the way out the door,” Gibson said.

Gibson said they planned to hop on their Harleys and travel the country.

“We’re waiting for someone to wake us all up from this nightmare,” Gibson said.

The family said Marweg was a father, a husband of 28 years, and a grandfather.

They say he believed in following the rules on the job and took no shortcuts because he knew the work he did was dangerous.

A third worker was severely injured, and that person’s name has not been released.

RELATED NEWS:

NEW DETAILS: Tire explosion sent metal ‘flying like a missile,’ killing 2 workers, witnesses say

©2024 Cox Media Group