Tragedy Strikes: Valley HVAC Technician Fatally Injured on Job, Leaving Behind Fiancée and Three Children

A family in Surprise, Arizona, is grappling with immeasurable loss following an unexplained accident at work that claimed the life of Drew Damon Cook, just ten days shy of his 31st birthday.

Cook’s fiancée, Brooke Bartlett, shared the profound difficulty of watching their children mourn their hero. Recalling the harrowing day, Bartlett’s mother, Jana, explained how the family learned of the tragic news. “My husband escorted Brooke to the hospital, and I stayed with their small children,” she said. “By the time she got to the hospital, he was gone.”

The two had known each other since Brooke was 15, and she described the moment she was informed of Cook’s passing as one of the worst days of her life. “I had an out-of-body experience, just I didn’t know what to do,” she shared. “I screamed. Just let out the worst scream you could ever imagine, and that was the only thing I could do.”

Details about how Cook died are still unclear. Brooke said he was working in the attic of a home when the homeowner, after hearing a loud thud, found him on the ground. “We still don’t know if it was something to do with electricity or if he had heat stroke. We just don’t know,” Jana Bartlett said.

Known as an outdoor enthusiast and a kind soul, Cook was committed to providing for his family, working up to four jobs to enable Brooke to stay home and raise their three children. “Our oldest, who is 10, is taking it the hardest. Our 2-year-old has been saying she missed her daddy all day, and it kills me because I don’t know how to explain that we’re not going to see him,” Brooke lamented.

The couple’s extended family remembers Cook as someone who was remarkably generous. “He was very funny, very give-you-the-shirt-off-of-his-back. He would have literally laid down his life for anybody he cared about,” Jana emphasized.

The medical examiner’s results are awaited to determine the exact cause of death. Meanwhile, the family has set up a GoFundMe campaign to support Brooke and her three children through this difficult time.