Leader, Best Friend’ Remembered

At 21, Catrina Faye Coffman had everything to look forward to. She was in love with her high school sweetheart and had set a wedding date of July 13, 2008. Coffman was also considering returning to college, possibly to pursue a career in forensic science.

Tragically, her life ended in May 2007, after Coffman was trying to remove stuck luggage from a small luggage elevator lift at Dayton International Airport in Ohio. The Pinnacle Airlines employee somehow became trapped in the machinery. She died a few hours later in hospital as a result of asphyxiation caused by mechanical chest compression and blunt force injury to her torso.

Police and federal labor investigators are trying to determine how she became trapped.

People who knew Coffman described her as a leader and the kind of girl who could do anything. For example, she organized three breakfasts for firefighters in memory of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and taught fire protection to elementary school students, using her own curriculum.

Friends described her as a peacekeeper who hated seeing people fight. Many described Coffman as their best friend.

She could be anyone’s daughter – perhaps one of the bright young workers you oversee. Share this story with your workers and ensure they are adequately trained to avoid hazards.