It was a traumatic scene Friday morning as several witnesses watched a man fall to his death while painting the roof of Main Street Baptist Church in Luray.

Witnesses and rescue personnel say it was David Liller who fell. Luray Police say the victim was in his mid-40s. Police say he either slipped or accidentally stepped off the side.

A small portion of the church is taped off. One witness, Sharon Class, says that's where Liller fell Friday morning as he was painting the roof top.

"Volunteers, they were all here, and they were waiting for the ladder truck. But the gentleman apparently couldn't hold on," says Class.

Class heard the call on her scanner. She went outside to see what was going on. She looked over at the church and saw the man fall from the roof.

"It's a sound I'll never forget. It was just a horrible thump," says Class.

She would later find out she has a connection to the man she just saw. His mother works for Class at a health care center next door to the church.

Class got a call from Liller's mother.

"We told her to go. Don't worry about it. Go," says Class.

Martha Anne Griffith works across the street and has been active in the church for decades. She had spoken to Liller a few times while he was working on the project.

"It's quite jolting to hear that," says Griffith.

The church hired the company Pioneer Painting. Liller was one of two men painting the roof Friday morning.

"The church was painted eight years ago, and he did it. And he did a nice job. So we were very pleased to have him back again," says Griffith.

Emergency responders were scheduled to meet Friday night for a debriefing. It's a chance for them to talk about what they saw Friday morning and to try to cope with it as well.