LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The life of Alvin Nees, who was one of two people who died in the Martin County prep plant collapse, is being remembered by a friend of his.
It’s been nearly a week since Nees and Billy Daniels died in the collapse. Their bodies have now been pulled from the debris, officials announced Friday night, allowing friends and family to start to mourn.
“It’s hard to believe that it was him because anything he done he was safe with,” said Amber Mahon, who was a neighbor of Nees.
She’s spoken with his family members multiple times over the past week, including his now-widow, she said.
“She said this is the most devastating thing she’s been through and I can understand that,” Mahon said.
She describes Nees as a truly genuine person.
“He was always smiling, laughing, joking, whether he was having a good day or not, when he had bad days you didn't know it,” Mahon said.
As a neighbor, Nees showed how he would always help others without asking for anything in return. That included things like cutting her grass or helping out with a flat tire. All she’d have to do is holler to Nees next door and he’d help out.
“He was just that type of person,” Mahon said.
Mahon used to work in the mines, Mahon said. He lived with his wife, daughter, and granddaughter.
During their frequent discussions, Nees shared with Mahon how much he loved his granddaughter, saying that “shined through every conversation he ever had.”
Her heart breaks for his family, she said.
Asked what she’ll miss the most about him, Mahon said it’s the conversations, explaining he’d “make you smile and realize things ain't that bad.”
Funeral plans have yet to be shared. The collapse remains under investigation.
