The Peace Corps community mourns the tragic loss of two serving Volunteers

Peace Corps service is not without real risks, as these two tragedies demonstrate.

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CBS4News in Denver, Colorado reported on the death of PCV Cody Oser in Panama, recently.

Cody Oser was an Engineering Graduate of Colorado State University. Oser’s father, Steven, tells CBS4 there is “absolutely no foul play.”His son’s body was found in the shallow water of a creek.

“He was going down by a river and going across some boulders and he slipped,” said his father.”

In a news release, acting Peace Corps director Sheila Crowley said, “His impressive engineering skills made him stand out as a volunteer because he dedicated himself to working with communities around the world to find solutions to their technological needs. His passing is a profound loss for the Peace Corps community as we mourn along with his family and friends.”

The news report concluded: “The family is already starting an effort with their own money to create a scholarship for engineers in his name at CSU with the assistance of the Broomfield Foundation.”

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A FEW WEEKS EARLIER, Peace Corps also reported the death of another serving Peace Corps Volunteer, Cameron Burton.  

“WASHINGTON, D.C., March 21, 2017 – Acting Peace Corps Director Sheila Crowley is saddened to confirm the death of Peace Corps volunteer Cameron Willia Hali Burton of Glendale, California. Cameron, 25, died in an automobile accident in Malawi on March 20, 2017.

“Cameron’s compassion for others and drive to do all she could to make the world a better place are what made her a truly outstanding volunteer,” Acting Director Crowley said. “She was passionate about public health and was wholeheartedly dedicated to working with communities at the grassroots level. I know I speak for the entire Peace Corps family when I say we are devastated that her promising life was cut short. Our hearts go out to Cameron’s family and friends.”