Photo courtesy of Tye Carnelli Facebook page

By Alex McCuaig

Tragic Accident

City photographer dies doing what he loved

Dec 7, 2019 | 4:17 PM

Medicine Hat, AB – A city photographer and founding member of the Medicine Hat Photography Club has died after falling down a snow-covered well earlier this week.

Tyrone (Tye) Carnelli, 60, was photographing images he was best known for – rural prairie landscapes and abandon buildings – when the accident occurred, said Photography Club vice-president Peter Mueller.

Carnelli was located on Dec. 3 at a rural location outside of Foremost.

“He had this way of being a Rock of Gibraltar,” said Mueller. “He’s solid and comfortable with who he is and with anybody and everybody around him.”

Mueller said Carnelli was reinvigorating the club he founded in recent months and was always willing to lead a hand while mentoring newer members.

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And when it came to his photography, Mueller said the way he died – photographing abandoned rural buildings – came as a shock.

“He did this all the time. When he went to abandon places, he always checked in with the neighbouring farmer to get permission and he knew his way around the dangers of an abandon farm. He knew that stuff,” said Mueller. “There is a lot of people who will be grieving for quite a while.”

A funeral mass will be held on Dec. 10 at 1 p.m. at Holy Family Parish.