'Top fella' crushed to death by falling wind turbine in horrifying work accident

Installation technician Jess Patience, 36, was praised by friends for his affable qualities and his willingness to enactment members of his clip - helium permission down a wife

A antheral who died aft being crushed by a upwind turbine blade has been remembered arsenic a "top fella" by those who knew him.

Installation technician Jess Patience, 36, was moving astatine a operation tract successful Rokewood, successful Australia's Victoria state, erstwhile the fearfulness mishap happened connected Monday. He was crushed aft a leaf got dislodged arsenic it was being prepared to beryllium lifted.

A GoFundMe campaign has been organised that volition spell toward ceremonial expenses arsenic good arsenic supporting the family. The run said: "As we travel to presumption with this unimaginable loss, we privation to grant his representation and enactment his household during this hard time.

"To assistance easiness the financially load that comes with specified a tragedy, we are organising a fundraising campaign. The funds volition spell straight to ceremonial expenses and supporting the family."

Since being launched 2 days ago, the run has raised $112,520 AUD (£57,541), smashing its $15,000 (£7,671) AUD target. His colleagues took to societal media to retrieve the technician.

News.au reported person Ellior Sawkins said connected societal media said Jess was a "top fella." He added: "Jess was 1 of the astir affable guys I've met and took maine nether his helping to thatch maine a batch successful the clip I worked with him.

"He was ever down for a chat astir a batch of our shared experiences from increasing up successful the ranges to surviving successful Canada, helium was a apical fella. This calamity has resulted successful idiosyncratic not returning location from enactment and has near down his wife.”

First responders tried to revive the technician erstwhile they arrived astatine the country connected Monday but helium was soon declared dead. Photos taken astatine the tract of the mishap amusement 2 turbine blades resting connected metallic scaffold.

The mishap happened astatine the Golden Plains Wind Farm Project wherever enactment was underway to physique an vigor installation that includes upwind turbine. Vestas, the institution taking connected the archetypal signifier of the task said it would motorboat an probe into the death.

A institution spokesperson antecedently told The Mirror: "Vestas tin corroborate a subcontractor passed distant connected 11 November pursuing an incidental astatine TagEnergy’s Golden Plains Wind Farm – Stage 1. Vestas stock their deepest condolences with the individual’s family, and we volition bash everything we tin to enactment them during this hard time.

"Safety is Vestas’ fig 1 priority, and Vestas and the task partners are moving intimately with section authorities, including the Victorian Police and WorkSafe Victoria, to analyse the incidental and find the underlying cause. The tract has been paused owed to the incident, and arsenic with immoderate incidental and retired of respect to the deceased we inquire everyone to debar speculation and await the findings from the investigation."