AceShowbiz -

The 24-years-old stepbrother of "The Hills" star Heidi Montag died in an accident at a Colorado hotel where he was working, it has been reported. Eric O'Hara died Thursday, February 28 after he fell off the icy roof of the Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel.

Eric had been home for a month after serving as a member of the 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq and Afghanistan over three years. He was working on the roof of the hotel attempting to remove snow when a piece of ice broke loose and caused his fall from the building.

And Heidi is speaking to US Weekly about the tragic incident, saying "I just loved him more than anything. He couldn't wait to meet Spencer."

"He was very much a brother to me," the reality TV star went on saying. "He called me his sister, not his step-sister. He was always like, 'I love you! I have to meet Spencer and make sure he's cool to you!' Just like a brother."

Heidi also told US Weekly that Eric was very patriotic. "He was just back [from Iraq] and was ready to go back to school. He went up to Steamboat for the weekend where my dad lives. He was just so patriotic. He just really wanted to go there and help and do all that he could for his country. He felt like it was his duty," so she was quoted as saying.

Heidi's father, Bill Montag, is married to Eric's mother Terri. Heidi lived with her mother and Eric lived with her father. They saw each other every weekend, at holidays and during the summer.