A Sanford police officer died Tuesday evening of apparent internal bleeding after being injured while rappelling during a training exercise, police said Wednesday.
Patrol Officer Elieser "Eli" Colonroche, 55, died about 6 p.m. Tuesday after being flown to UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill to be treated for his injuries, said Maj. Kevin Gray with the Sanford Police Department.
Several Sanford police officers, including Colonroche, were practicing rappelling at Central Carolina Community College about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday when the accident took place.
The officers were training for a demonstration they planned to do July 23 for the college's 50th anniversary celebration, an event that will include fireworks, music and a jump by the 82nd Airborne All American Freefall Team, according to the college.
Colonroche had been at the top of a four-story rappelling tower and began his descent when he hit the tower at about the third story, cutting his elbow, Gray said.
"For some unknown reason, we don't know why, he hit the side of the building," Gray said. "He was fine. He didn't even want to go to the doctor. ... They told him he was going to go to the doctor, and they made him go."
Colonroche was transported to Central Carolina Hospital in Sanford, where problems developed with his blood pressure a few hours later, Gray said. Doctors determined he was likely suffering from internal bleeding, he said.
"They never really found out where, and they couldn't stop it," Gray said.
Colonroche was flown to Chapel Hill, where he died about 6 p.m., Gray said. Police are still trying to figure out exactly what happened.
"It's plainly an accident; there's no doubt about it. It's just a freak accident that occurred, but we want to find out all the information we can about it anyway," Gray said. "We want answers ourselves."
A retired military policeman who served in the Army for 22 years with the 82nd Airborne Division, Colonroche, a native of Puerto Rico, joined the Sanford Police Department in August 2002 and was known as a dedicated lawman, Gray said.
Colonroche's son, 21-year-old Eliecer Colonroche, said his father retired from the Army as a sergeant first class and described him as a hard worker who liked to have fun with life.
He also was an avid sky diver who in his younger days would get out once a week, sometimes more, to jump out of airplanes, Eliecer Colonroche said.
"I think it was the freedom (he enjoyed), the feel of the wind and just free-falling," his son said. "Just falling and there's nothing in the world. It's just an amazing feeling that you can come down and not care about the things that are going on in this world."
Colonroche had always wanted to take his sons up for a jump, but he never got the chance, his son said.
He leaves behind a wife, Rosa Colonroche, and three sons. A military funeral is planned for July 12 at the Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery in Spring Lake.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
