An employee of Home Hardware died Friday after suffering a workplace injury Thursday morning.

Gary Martin, 55, was found unconscious.

He died the next day after having been medevaced to Vancouver.

Richard Mostyn of the Yukon Workers' Compensation Health and Safety Board said today the matter is under investigation by safety officers.

"There was a ladder involved,” said Mostyn. "He was found unconscious in the back room but there was no witnesses.”

With no one having actually seen what happened, he said, investigating officers are still trying to determine what happened.

"At around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, a worker was injured while performing duties at Home Hardware in Whitehorse,” Mostyn said.

"The worker was hospitalized and later medevaced to Vancouver, and he died Friday afternoon.”

Mostyn said he didn't know if Martin ever regained consciousness.

Store manager Rob Champagne said this morning Home Hardware is providing grief counselling for staff, whose thoughts are with Martin's family.

"We have lost a friend and a valued colleague, and he will be truly missed by everyone,” said an official statement issued by Champagne.

"This is a sad and difficult time for all of us.

"Our grief and confusion at this time are little compared to what Gary's family must be feeling, and we send our thoughts and prayers out to them.”

Martin's death is the first workplace fatality in the Yukon this year.

There were three last year, including pilot Shane Buchanan and two others who died from diseases related to their occupation over the years.