A Colorado elected official died unexpectedly Friday after collapsing during a hike on one of the state’s tallest peaks. He was 45.
Joe Anderson, the mayor pro tem of Englewood, Colorado, just south of Denver, had reportedly been having difficulty breathing before he lost consciousness on the lower slopes of Quandary Peak in Summit County, according to the Denver Gazette.
Other hikers quickly stepped in and performed CPR until deputies and emergency medical crews arrived at about 6:40 a.m. Despite continued lifesaving efforts, Anderson could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The county coroner will determine Anderson’s official cause of death.
Quandary Peak, located roughly six miles south of Breckenridge, reaches 14,272 feet in elevation and ranks as Colorado’s 11th-highest mountain.
Before his career in local government, Anderson served as a pastor. He had been a member of the Englewood City Council since 2019, was named mayor pro tem in December 2023 and won reelection the next year to a term set to run 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.
