Tribute to Gladstone teenager Brandon Leach after electrocution death

An adventurous teen who ‘loved putting a smile on your face’ is being remembered by his devastated family and friends following a tragic accident where he came into contact with live power lines on a train bridge.

Brandon Leach has been identified as the 15-year-old victim of a tragic incident at a Gladstone train bridge on January 19. Picture: Nilsson Jones

An adventurous teenager who ‘loved putting a smile on your face’ is being remembered by family and friends following a tragic incident on a Gladstone train bridge last week.

Brandon Leach has been described as a cheeky but very respectful young man who spent his time exploring with mates and held ambitions of becoming a tradesman later in life.

His family — who relocated to Gladstone from Gippsland, Victoria about seven years ago — are mourning the loss of their 15-year-old son but say they have been overwhelmed by community support and are touched by how many people knew and loved him.

Police and Aurizon staff inspecting the train bridge at Gladstone where the tragedy occurred.

Brandon died on Thursday when he accidentally came into contact with live power lines at an Aurizon-controlled train bridge across Auckland Creek off in McAndrew Drive in West Gladstone. He sadly fell 10m into water below.

Locals have taken to social media claiming kids have visited the spot “for generations” to jump into the water, believing it was harmless fun.

Brandon’s father, Rob Leach said his family was distraught and still in shock but it was important his eldest son was remembered as an “awesome kid”.

Brandon Leach ‘had a great heart... and really close mates’.

“I have a broken heart and crushed soul, I have lost my son and he was taken too young at just 15,” Mr Leach said.

“He had a great heart and I believe he would have done so much good in this world, he had some really close mates who are also deeply impacted by this.

“He was adventurous and didn’t hold much fear, he loved to go bush walking as well as playing video games like plenty of boys do.”

Brandon Leach, pictured with his family. Picture: Contributed.

Brandon had three siblings, two brothers and a sister, who are mourning along with dad, Rob, and his stepmum, Melissa.

Rob and Melissa told The Observer the teenager was loved by work and school mates for always striving to put a smile on their face.

He was a tall 15-year-old looming well over 6ft and while he would butt heads with his parents, as all teens do, they will remember him as a very respectful young man.

Brandon, a student of Toolooa State High School, also worked hard at Red Rooster in Gladstone.

Brandon Leach was a student at Toolooa State High School and worked at Red Rooster in Gladstone.

Mr Leach recalled the devastating phone call when he spoke to a friend of Brandon’s who told him there had been an accident.

“I rushed straight to the scene and at the time paramedics were still working on him, shortly after they gave the news there was nothing they could do,” he said.

Mr Leach and step-mum Melissa said the amount of support from the Gladstone community was “immense”, with locals leaving flowers at his home and providing hot meals and supplies for his family while they grieved.

“So many amazing people have reached out and you don’t realise how much people are affected by a tragedy like this but we are so grateful for their support,” he said.

A GoFundMe has been established to help support the family and assist them in returning Brandon to Victoria.

Details about a public memorial for Brandon in Gladstone will be provided at a later time.