The devastated partner of a tradesman killed in a horrific construction site accident in Brisbane has spoken of her 'overwhelming disbelief and grief'. Kimura Dixon, 45, lost his life on Tuesday morning when a retaining wall suddenly gave way at a site on Boundary Street in West End.
A Tragic Morning at the West End Site
Kimura Dixon was buried alive under tonnes of rubble when the structure failed without warning. He was working alongside his 19-year-old stepson, Lucas (Rama) Pert, who was also trapped for a terrifying 90 minutes. A concrete slab crushed the young man's chest during the catastrophic collapse.
Emergency services worked desperately to free the pair. Mr Dixon was pronounced dead at the scene. His stepson was rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a stable condition, but with serious leg injuries.
Family's Agonising Journey and Heartfelt Tribute
Katarina Bell endured an agonising drive from the Gold Coast to the hospital after receiving the news that her partner and son had been in a serious accident. In a heartbreaking Facebook post shared on Tuesday, she expressed her turmoil.
'While I'm so grateful and thankful my son made it out okay with nothing too serious, I am overwhelmed with disbelief, grief and massive waves of emotions,' Ms Bell wrote.
She paid tribute to Kimura, describing him as 'the absolute love of my life' and 'an amazing person' with 'the biggest heart'. 'I have no idea how I'm going to handle this new chapter without you,' she added. 'It was meant to be me [and] you, old and crusty in our treasures.'
Ms Bell recalled their final moments together, saying: 'When you kissed me goodbye today I didn't think it would be the last kiss I'd ever get from you. I wish I hugged you a little bit longer before you left.'
Stepson's Recovery and Ongoing Investigations
Ms Bell is now caring for her son in hospital, where he may require surgery on his eye socket. She described being 'torn between gratefulness and unbelievable sorrow'.
'Rama is better than he was when he first came in. I've cleaned him up. He's awake, he's got a bit of a headache,' she told the Courier Mail. 'But other than that, he's not really in that much pain. Knowing that I can be there and I was able to stay at the hospital with him last night, and just physically seeing that he's a bit battered and bruised, but he is okay.'
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has launched a full investigation into the circumstances that led to the fatal wall collapse. Queensland Police will also prepare a report for the coroner, as is standard procedure following a workplace death.
The tragic incident has sent shockwaves through the local construction community and serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced on building sites. Colleagues were seen consoling each other at the scene in the aftermath of the collapse.
