Family’s anguish for Steve Wyatt who died in new RAH site accident

STEVE Wyatt was a family man and never was this truer than on the day he died.

26/2/16 - Family of RAH construction site victim Steve Wyatt, son Brett, daughter Hayley and Steve's widdow Deb sit in front of one of Steve's favorite pictures in their lounge room - pic Mike Burton

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STEVE Wyatt was a family man and never was this truer than on the day he died.

As he finished his supervisory shift on the new Royal Adelaide Hospital site, his family back home in the northern suburbs were preparing for a party for his son’s 35th birthday.

Mr Wyatt, a 63-year-old grandfather of three, father of two and highly respected electrical engineer, never made it.

As his wife Deb, 60, hosted more than 40 guests, she received a visit at their Wynn Vale home from three SA Police detectives, who revealed the devastating news that her husband of 42 years had died in a scissor lift accident at work.

As her world crashed, stunned guests attempted to comfort the shocked mother and her son, Brett, as they began informing family.

His daughter Hayley, 33, was herself at a party in her hometown of Brisbane and flew to Adelaide the next morning.

“We had been cooking on the barbecue when the police rang the bell,” an emotional Mrs Wyatt told The Advertiser yesterday in the dining room surrounded by flowers, cards and pictures of her late husband.

“When I came back inside and saw all of these people, who didn’t know what to do, it was really hard.

“The police were turning people away. A lot of them had left but the rest of us just cleaned up. He had been due back from his shift.”

LIFE CUT SHORT: Deb Wyatt and her husband Steve.

Breaking down in tears, she added: “I used to make him lunch every day for work. But when he left for work that day I had not made him lunch the night before.

“We feel like we have been hit by a bus at 200km/h. We are a fairly close knit family. His death has left a massive hole for all of us.

“I am still waiting for him to come in and say goodbye to me now and that is the impact with me.

“Knowing I won’t be able to kiss him goodbye because of the injuries that he has got and we will never be able to get closure is the hardest thing.

“If he had a heart attack and stroke, you can accept it and you can cuddle him and kiss him and say goodbye.

“With this, we can’t have that closure with him so that is the one of the things that cuts me up more than anything.

“It is so surreal what happened. We just can’t have that closure.”

Brett, a paving and landscape tradesman, told how he had spoken to his father just hours before the accident — the second fatal industrial accident on the site in 15 months.

“He said ‘I will be back in time in time for the party’,” he said.

“I said to him ‘Love you mate and I will see you when you get home’. I never saw him again.

“That is why it is heartbreaking. It is not something we could have been expected.”

The new RAH under construction on North Tce. Picture: Tait Schmaal.

The family told The Advertiser how Mr Wyatt was passionate about his work but generous with his time helping young people in the industry — from offering friendly advice to family friends or lecturing on project management at the University of Adelaide.

They described him as a hard working man, who was highly respected across Australia, after completing his first job in Darwin, helping rebuild the city in the wake of Cyclone Tracy in 1974.

He had loved his supervisory role at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital site for the past 18 months after making the decision to become self-employed.

He was hired as an experienced consultant by the Hansen Yuncken Leighton Contractors Joint Venture, fixing faults and defects.

“That is what annoys us, he had loved what he was doing for the past 18 months,” said Mrs Wyatt.

“He loved every minute. If things were not working properly he was finding out why.”

He was a passionate Aussie rules fan, especially for his beloved Power, loved a cold tinnie of West End draught and enjoyed a nice glass of red.

He was also known for a weakness for Farmers Union Ice Coffee, pastries, Tim Tams and his wife’s cooking.

He loved reading with his grandchildren under his arms, the Snoopy cartoon, as well as the Minions in the Despicable Me film.

But it was his family that remained his priority.

Having first met his future wife at church when they were youngsters, they fell in love as teenagers after a chance meeting at the Feathers pub in June 1973, and married the following year.

He doted on his three grandchildren, Caleb, 17, Jasmin, 11, and Ava-Jade, 9, who have been left devastated by their grandfather’s death.

Despite his grief, Caleb passed his naval entrance exam with “flying colours” on Monday, which he dedicated to his grandfather.

The family declined to comment about the specifics of his death but called for better safety on construction sites.

They have joined calls for an inquest into his death, which came after a similar accident that killed Jorge Castillo-Riffo, 54 on November 27, 2014.

Hayley, who works in financial planning, was due to fly home last night.

“We are just so sad about the fun times we are not going to have and all the plans that we made — Mum and Dad coming up to Brisbane to see me, the travel together,” she said.

“He won’t be able to see my kids or walk me down the aisle.”

Mrs Wyatt also lamented not being able to grow old with her beloved husband.

“We talked about touring around Australia but people always asked me when Steve would retire and I would joke at 90,” she said.

“He planned to use his consultancy work while we travelled. He was one of those people who would likely never have retired.

“I tell you what — he is going to be missed in the industry and by his family.”