Milt Jensen, 73, died after he fell from a tower on Mount Lemmon in Ariz. Pictured above is one of a number of towers on Radio Ridge. The tower he fell from was owned by a local radio club.
Update: June 12, 2016 – Andrew Milton ‘Milt’ Jensen, 73, who died when he fell from a tower located on Mount Lemmon in Pima County, Ariz. on Thursday while volunteering his services to an amateur radio club, had been climbing professionally for a number of years and had safety training, according to a family member who announced services today that will be held on Wed., June 15 at 10 a.m., at the Duncan Arizona LDS Stake Center at 105 Fairgrounds Rd., Duncan, Ariz. A viewing will be held at 9 a.m.
Jensen had previously worked for TransWorld Network (TWN) as their site acquisition and construction manager for approximately five years where he did a considerable amount of climbing. He received the company’s safety training and also trained others.
It is not known what caused Jensen to fall from the radio club-owned structure.
He was employed by Duncan Valley Electric Cooperative for 41 years where he received extensive climber training and received safety awards for every year from 1968 to 2009 for no lost time.
He has been involved with amateur radio for a little over 53 years, where he has been involved in climbing towers, for both erection and antenna installs.
During his time with TWN he was involved in microwave dish installations as well as a considerable amount of tower maintenance. He has owned towers on at least 15 different mountain top sites.
Jensen was at approximately 55 feet finishing up some cabling work when the accident occurred.
His son, Jason, said his family was proud of his father’s dedication to fellow ham radio operators.
“Not once did he ever allow amateur radio operators to pay him for his time. He graciously donated endless hours assisting operators in any way he could, whether building sites or maintaining them,” he said.
Jensen’s Silent Key is N5IA. He was a well-known DXer and DXpeditioner.
He had served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Chile. He grew to love the people and the country, loved the Spanish language, and he visited Chile as often as he could.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 49 years, Rulene, and children Jason Dee Jensen, Andrea Lynn Cross, Milton Brett Jensen, Teresa Ann Williams, Andrew Christian Jensen, Darren Lee Jensen, and Justin Duane Jensen, along with a sister and two brothers.
June 10, 2016 – A New Mexico amateur radio operator fell to his death off a tower located on Mount Lemmon in Pima County, Ariz. yesterday morning. He was doing volunteer work on a radio club’s equipment when the incident occurred.
Accomplished DXer and DXpeditioner Milt Jensen, 73, of Virden, N.M. had climbed amateur radio towers over the years, including his 8-circle array he owned just south of Safford, Ariz., as well as other clubs’ structures to assist fellow DXers.
It is not known if Jensen climbed professionally for a living following his retirement from the electric power distribution industry after a 40-year career. His LinkedIn page indicates that he had been self employed since 2014. He is listed in business directories as owning Milt’s Electronics in Lordsburg, N.M., however, the company is not registered in the state.
Pima County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Dep. Ryan Inglett said the man was working as a volunteer to repair the amateur radio tower when he fell at about 11:45 a.m. Jensen was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to Jensen’s son, Jason, in a post to QRZ.com, his father left behind his wife, Rulene, seven children, 30 grandchildren, and four great grandchildren.
“He loved to help others, especially in his chosen hobby, amateur radio,” Jason said.