The Hills star, Heidi Montag’s 24-year-old stepbrother, Eric O’Hara, a veteran of several combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, has lost his life in a bizarre accident at the Colorado hotel where he worked, the Rocky Mountain News reports. He died Thursday at the Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel in Steamboat Springs, after he slipped off a sloped roof while attempting to remove snow.

“Losing my brother, at an early age, is such a tragedy,” Heidi said in a statementment released through her rep. “I just loved him more than anything,” Montag’s statement continued. “He was just so patriotic. He really wanted to go to Iraq and help and do all that he could for his country. He felt like it was his duty. I’ll really miss him.”

My prayers go out to Heidi and the rest of her family!