SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Loved ones are grieving the loss of a Sorrento Valley man, killed while walking his dog near train tracks.
“He was vibrant, full of life,” Wolfgang Baere said.
Wolfgang says his brother, Stephan Baere, would go on long walks every day with his 2-year-old husky, Kilo.
On Thursday morning, they were on one of those walks, a walk Stephan would not finish.
“Without him here, the world is just a little bit dimmer, a little bit less happy,” Wolfgang said.
Just after 6:30 that morning, north of the Sorrento Valley Coaster Station, deputies say Stephan and Kilo were trying to cross the tracks as a southbound Coaster train approached.
“Our understanding is that train did see the dog. It was on the tracks. It’s unclear how my brother was there if he was trying to free the dog,” said Wolfgang.
Wolfgang says the conductor sounded the horn, but moments later, the train struck Stephan, killing him.
Kilo, uninjured and without a leash, was discovered outside Stephan's apartment about a mile away.
Family members believe the most likely scenario is Kilo somehow got stuck on the tracks, his leash possibly tied up on the tracks, with Stephan unclipping him at the last moment.
“To save the dog, absolutely. That was one of his best buds,” Wolfgang said.
Wolfgang calls his 52-year-old brother, who worked in marketing for an activewear company, an energetic and cheerful person dedicated to his two sons, ages 19 and 24.
“He would bring light and happiness everywhere he was. He was always a very positive soul,” said Wolfgang.
He was a positive soul who adored his best friend.
“He really loved that dog. Must have been something where he was trying to free that dog, and unfortunately, it cost him his life,” said Wolfgang.
Baere’s death is one of four deaths on local tracks in a span of four days.
The Sheriff's Department investigation is still ongoing.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the family, including funeral expenses and education assistance for his sons.
