Cause of beloved Arizona news anchor's sudden death at 28 revealed

A TV news station in Tucson, Arizona, is mourning the sudden death of one of its young anchors.

KOLD 13 News announced 28-year-old Ana Orsini unexpectedly died last week from a brain aneurysm.

"Ana Orsini, you were one in a trillion; wise beyond your years, full of practical insight, smart, compassionate, quick-witted, and possessed a contagious love for animals," Dan Marries, an evening anchor at KOLD 13 News wrote in a post on Facebook.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Orsini family during this incredibly tragic time. As a parent, I can’t even begin to imagine their pain and anguish with the sudden, unexpected, and tragic loss of Ana," Marries added. "Her positive impact on those around her will last a lifetime. Ana, you are, and will, be missed so much."

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"Literally no words and only tears. Still at a loss for words," Allie Potter, a weather forecaster at KOLD with Orsini, wrote in a tribute.

"Last week, we lost a beloved member of our KOLD news team. Ana Orsini was our anchor, a leader of the morning team, and most importantly a great friend to so many at the station," co-anchor Cory Kowitz wrote in a post on X. 

Orsini had been part of 13 News since June 2023, the outlet reported. 

"Ana’s friends and coworkers remember her as someone with bottomless empathy who always stood up for ‘the little guy,’" the station wrote, accompanied by a tribute video. "She was a smiling face most especially for all her newest and youngest coworkers, and she is known in all the newsrooms where she worked for taking them under her wing and being a strong mentor for both work and life."

Orsini's biography, which has since been removed from the station's website, said, "There are many places Ana once called ‘home,’ but she always knew Arizona was where she wanted to end up."

According to her biography, Orsini was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, and started her college career at the University of Arizona. After a semester, Orsini transfered to Texas A&M and graduated with a degree in journalism and a double minor in communication and sports management.

Orsini captioned a photo of her twin sisters in UCLA cheer uniforms on her Facebook page, calling her home a "house divided."

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"HOUSE DIVIDED. My little sisters (yes - twins!) both went to UCLA. My parents both went to the University of Arizona. That means I’ll be the official tiebreaker this weekend. Who do y’all think I’ll be rooting for?" Orsini wrote. 

After graduation, Orsini began her TV career in Lubbock, Texas, where she worked as an anchor/reporter. She also spent three years in Medford, Oregon, as a morning and midday anchor.

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The staff at 13 News said her family wants Orsini "to be remembered for the bright, sunny person she was."

"To know Ana was to LOVE her," Carsyn Currier, a co-anchor of Orsini’s wrote in post on Instagram.

"She made everyone around her feel so special, heard and understood. Waking up in the middle of the night to go to work is always challenging, but knowing I was going to work with Ana made it that much easier.