Pennsylvania Man, 71, Falls to Death After Stepping Into Empty Elevator Shaft in Freak Accident at Work

A Pennsylvania man fell to his death after accidentally stepping into an empty elevator shaft in what the coroner said was a work accident .

Igor Akopyan, 71, was pronounced dead at 5:04 p.m. Tuesday.

“The victim was a longtime employee of that business and it was an unwitnessed incident. Elevator doors were open but the car was one floor above and for whatever reason he fell down into the elevator shaft and dropped two stories,” Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook told YourErie.com .

Akopyan had been waiting to board the elevator on the second floor of a restaurant supply company called Andy's Equipment Exchange, where he had worked for a long time, People reported.

"He opened the door to the elevator, assuming it was there, and it wasn't," Deputy Coroner John Maloney told GoErie.com.

Andy's Equipment Exchange did not respond to Inside Edition Digital's request for comment.

Some of Akopyan's loved ones took to social media to grieve the unexpected loss.

"May your memory be a blessing and may you rest in peace, my friend," one friend wrote on Facebook.

"Igor was one of a kind. Sending you guys all my love," another friend wrote to Akopyan's daughter, who shared a photo of him and the message, "Rest in peace dad."

Akopyan's death has been ruled an accident . Authorities are investigating the incident to determine why the doors opened to an empty elevator shaft.

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