A Colorado politician died suddenly Friday after collapsing as he hiked one of the state’s highest mountains. He was 45.
Joe Anderson — the mayor pro tem of Englewood, Co., south of Denver — was struggling to breathe before he lost consciousness while exploring the lower slopes of Quandary Peak in Summit County, the Denver Gazette reported.
Hikers rushed to his aid and began CPR before deputies and emergency responders took over around 6:40 a.m., but their efforts were unsuccessful and Anderson was pronounced dead at the scene.
Anderson’s official cause of death will be determined by the coroner.
Quandary Peak, about six miles south of Breckenridge, rises 14,272 feet above sea level and is the 11th-highest mountain in Colorado.
Anderson, who was a pastor before entering politics, had served on the Englewood City Council since 2019. He became mayor pro tem in December 2023 and was reelected the following year to a term running through November 2027.
“We are all shocked and saddened at the sudden passing of our friend and council member, Joe Anderson,” Englewood Mayor Othoniel Sierra said, according to the city’s announcement of his death.
“Joe was always there to lend a hand, whether it was in his role as friend, neighbor, pastor or council member.”
“This is a tremendous loss for our city and our heart goes out to his family and friends during this time of loss,” Sierra added.
Anderson was remembered for his key role in rebuilding the city’s infrastructure after deadly flooding in 2018 and for helping found the nonprofit Change the Trend to address homelessness.
Outgoing City Manager Shawn Lewis said Anderson had an unusual ability to push people to do better while making them feel supported.
“Mayor Pro Tem Anderson was this rare combination of a constant encourager behind the scenes while simultaneously challenging us as staff to think bigger and do better,” Lewis said in the city’s announcement.
“He was one of the most effective, productive and positive council members I’ve ever worked with, and he was more than just a boss.”
Lewis recalled that when his parents were hospitalized during the COVID pandemic, Anderson asked to pray for him and continued checking in on him.
“I’ll never forget the kindness and care he showed to me and I know so many others throughout his time on council,” Lewis added.
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