Mackay’s Brenton Hawkins pays tribute to fallen teen William Baker

An Eimeo teen who tragically died in a crash at Blacks Beach has been remembered as a ‘super positive’ boy with a good spirit as a family friend implores people to ‘stick by your mates’.

An Eimeo teen who tragically died in a crash at Blacks Beach has been remembered as a “super positive” boy with a good spirit and who was “kind to everyone”.

The Blacks Beach skate park was a home away from home for William Baker, who is the latest road toll victim in the Mackay district.

Friend and skateboarding mentor Brenton Hawkins said the devastating news had “hit hard” and that “one wrong choice” did not define who William was.

“He was just a super positive young boy … really friendly to everyone and always super helpful,” Mr Hawkins, who owns Red Lotus Company, said.

“He had a good spirit and was kind to everyone.”

The pair had met when Will was still in primary school and had “heard about the skate lessons we did and wanted to get involved”.

Friend have tagged their tributes for the 17 year old who loved to skateboard. Picture: Tara Miko

And from that moment had been an active member of the skateboarding community, taking part in competitions at the Sugar Bowl at North Mackay.

Will, 17, and his dad were regulars helping out at events Mr Hawkins put on, even helping to paint the Slade Point skate park as part of past renovations.

“He’d always be the first kid to come and say hello to everyone or introduce himself,” he said.

“He wasn’t shy … (and) he had a good sense of humour.”

Mr Hawkins said he found out about the tragedy in an early morning message from Will’s dad.

“I read it and it didn’t really make sense. I had to read it again to make sure it was real,” he said.

“It hit home pretty close … just watching him grow from when he was a younger lad.”

As well as skating, Will was a keen fisherman and enjoyed riding bikes.

William has been remember as a kind teen who was the first to say hello. Picture: Tara Miko

Tragically he had been riding a dirt bike on Blacks Beach Rd when it and the Blacks Beach Tavern courtesy bus collided at the Hancock St intersection the night he was critically injured.

There had been reports the bike had been travelling at speed with no lights and had overtaken a number of cars just before the collision.

“At the end of the day, even if he was doing the wrong thing, he was still a good kid and no one deserves this to happen to them or their family,” Mr Hawkins said.

“People need to be more compassionate or thoughtful.

A surfcraft vigil will also be held in his memory on Sunday.

“We want to show everyone that … just because he might have made one wrong choice, it doesn’t define who he was.”

As such Will’s loved ones are pushing to have the Bucasia Beach skate park renamed in his memory to the William Baker Memorial Park, and have a concrete wall decorated with a mural honouring the Eimeo teen.

Mr Hawkins said he had approached Mackay Regional Council and was waiting for a response.

“That was his home away from home,” Mr Hawkins said.

Tributes and messages at the Camilleri St skate park to Eimeo teen William Baker, 17. Picture: Tara Miko

He has also launched a GoFundMe page to raise money towards the mural and funerals costs. It has so far raised more than $4300 since it was created on Monday night.

Mr Hawkins said he had also received council approval to host a fundraising day at the skate part in memory of Will.

It will he held on June 26.

Mr Hawkins said in this time of grief friends needed to look out for each other

“Stick by your mates,” he said.

“Be there to support each other because you never know when something like this could happen.”