SAUGUS, MASS. (WHDH) - Community members are mourning a beloved Saugus high school basketball coach who died after being trapped by a heavy piece of machinery Friday night.
Emergency crews responding to reports of a rollover at 5:20 p.m. learned that the victim, identified as Mark Bertrand, 57, of Saugus, was working on his private property when a piece of heavy equipment had overturned and trapped him, officials said.
Bertrand was rushed to Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, where he died of his injuries, according to a statement from the Essex District Attorney’s office on Saturday.
Bertrand, a husband, father of three, and coach for the Saugus High School boys basketball team, was well-liked in the community, residents said.
“It’s a very tight neighborhood, everyone is upset,” said neighbor Eric Dalbo.
The high school principal and athletic director released a joint statement, saying, “Mark was a true family man and a pillar of the Saugus community, and his passing has and will continue to profoundly impact our school and athletic families. The Bertrand family is widely recognized as the ‘First Family of Saugus basketball’ and Mark’s presence and influence will be greatly missed by everyone that knew him.”
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