Man dies after tractor accident at Alligator Creek

A cane-farming family is in mourning after a father was killed, and his son seriously injured, in a tractor accident at a Central Queensland property. UPDATES.

A cane farming family is in the grips of an unimaginable tragedy after their patriarch and his son were in a shocking tractor accident.

Cane farmer Tony Galea, 87, died and his 57-year-old son Mark suffered serious injuries in the incident, which occurred at about 7am at a property near Alligator Creek, south of Mackay.

Multiple ambulance crews and a critical care paramedic rushed to the property where the elderly father died at the scene.

Mark was taken to Mackay Base Hospital with a back injury.

At about 7am on August 27, a tractor incident took the life of 87-year-old cane farmer Tony Galea at Alligator Creek. Tony's son Mark was also injured. Picture: Duncan Evans.

The Galea family owns a cane farm by Eversleigh Rd.

A neighbour told the Mackay Daily Mercury Mr Galea was a “dear old fellow”.

“Every now and again I would see him,” he said.

“He was just lovely to talk to and you could tell he was a real hard worker.

“He was an intelligent, nice bloke to talk to.”

The neighbour had met Mark at a barbershop in Sarina just one day before the tragedy and recalled asking Mark to “say hello” to his father for him.

“It is just so sad,” he said.

The Galea family has been contacted but could not be reached.

Nobody was at the property when the Mercury arrived on Saturday.

A police spokesman said the death was sudden and non-suspicious and a report would be prepared for the coroner.

“The Forensic Crash Unit will investigate and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has been advised,” the spokesman said.

The latest tractor tragedy comes after a horror fatality at Koumala on August 6 where a man was crushed and died while working alone on the machine.