A military veteran and father of six, Jonathan Stepp, 28, died Thursday in a workplace accident at the Cleveland Cliffs Burns Harbor Plant in Burns Harbor, Indiana. The incident occurred while Stepp was operating a pot hauler, a large vehicle used to transport and dump containers filled with molten slag.
Stepp was employed by Phoenix Services, a contractor at the plant that is owned by SunCoke Energy Inc. Sharon Doyle, a spokesperson for SunCoke Energy, confirmed the tragic loss and stated that the company is supporting Stepp's family and its employees. "Our hearts are with his family, and we are supporting them and our team during this difficult time," Doyle said in a statement. She added that the company is cooperating with Indiana OSHA and local authorities in the investigation.
A spokesperson for Cleveland Cliffs, which operates the plant, also confirmed that a formal investigation into the incident is underway but did not provide further details.
Jonathan Stepp was a second-generation member of the IUOE Local 150 union. The union referred to him as a "brother" and "one of our own." On his social media, Stepp described himself as "Proud to be Union, Proud to be a Veteran, but most importantly, Proud to be a Father."
Stepp's fiancée, Sierra Knoll, who is a stay-at-home mother, is now left to care for their six children without an income. A GoFundMe organized on her behalf noted that she is facing significant emotional and financial stress, compounded by recent storm damage to her home.