A construction accident in Hawaii claimed the life of Sione Veikoso, an offensive lineman at BYU. He was 22 years old.
“On behalf of the entire BYU Football family, our thoughts and prayers are with Sione’s family and friends during this extremely difficult time,” the BYU football program stated in a tweet. “Rest in Love Sione. God be with you till we meet again.”
Kalani Sitake, head coach of BYU, added: “We are extremely saddened to learn of the tragic death of one of our brothers, Sione Veikoso. His passing is heartbreaking to all of us. We offer our deepest condolences and prayers to his family as we share in their grief. Our love for you is forever, Sione!”
It was reported by KITV, an ABC affiliate in Hawaii, that Veikoso was part of a construction crew constructing a 15-foot retaining wall. Firefighters arrived on the scene to find several people trapped under the wall, according to the report. It has been reported that two other men have been treated for their injuries and are in a serious but stable condition, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
It is not known what caused the wall to collapse.
This season, Veikoso played one game for BYU as a redshirt freshman after transferring from Arizona State.
As stated in BYU’s tribute to Veikoso, after graduating from high school in Hawaii, he served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Brazil.
“He was a gentle giant who loved his family. He was reliable and caring,” Joshua Kava, Veikoso’s cousin, told the Star-Advertiser.