Frank Thomas remembered as a ‘beautiful person’ after tragic workplace death

The heartbroken wife of a miner killed in a tragic workplace death at a Qld mine has paid tribute to an amazing man who was ‘loved by everyone’. Read her moving words.

Frank Thomas has been remembered fondly after a fatal accident at Glencore’s Oaky Creek Coal Mine on October 2. Picture: Supplied.

The grieving widow of a mine worker who tragically died in a workplace incident at a Bowen Basin mine has paid her husband a moving tribute, saying he was an amazing man who was “loved by everyone”.

Frank Thomas was one of two men carrying out maintenance works involving a conveyor belt at Glencore’s Oaky Creek Coal Mine on October 2 when a cable snapped and struck them about 4.34pm.

Tragically 51-year-old Mr Thomas was killed. His co-worker, a man in his 20s also suffered serious injuries including multiple fractures and had to be flown to hospital.

A father of four boys, Mr Thomas had been on the verge of celebrating his 16th wedding anniversary with his wife Julie, when tragedy struck at the mine where he worked for the past 18 months.

“He was happy, loving life, and the soul of the party. He was an amazing father and a beautiful, loving husband. It’s an enormous loss,” Mrs Thomas said.

Frank Thomas, 51, tragically died in a workplace incident at Oaky Creek Mine on October 2, 2024. Picture supplied by family

The couple had lived in Townsville for nine years and Mrs Thomas said they had only just relocated south a couple of months ago to “a place that we always talked about going to”.

She said for five of their Townsville years her husband had worked at a local pool shop.

“He loved life, loved his fishing, motorsport, and being outside. He especially loved his friends and family,” she said.

“He was just a beautiful, beautiful person who will be missed by everyone forever.”

Following Mr Thomas’s death operations at Oaky Creek mine, based at Tieri in Central Queensland, were suspended and mine watchdog Resources Safety and Health Queensland launched an investigation.

On Wednesday, RSHQ CEO Rob Djukic confirmed that the investigation was ongoing.

“RSHQ coal inspectors and investigators from our Serious Incident Investigation Unit were on site again yesterday, gathering more evidence,” Mr Djukic said.

“This morning, the scene of the incident was released to the mine operator but all operations involving lifting, slinging and towing at Oaky North are suspended under an RSHQ inspector’s directive.

“The suspension for those operations will remain in place until the mine operator can

demonstrate to RSHQ that it can do those activities at an acceptable level of risk.”

Tragically Mr Thomas is the fourth fatality in Bowen Basin mines in 2024, with two of those lives lost at the same mine within three weeks.

John Linwood was killed at QCoal's Byerwen Mine on August 22, 2024.

Chris Schloss died in a workplace incident at QCoal's Byerwen workers accommodation camp at Suttor. Picture: QCoal

Bundaberg Grandfather John Linwood died when the light vehicle he was driving and a large haul truck collided on a ramp at Byerwen mine on August 22, just weeks after long-term worker Chris Schloss was killed after he was struck by a crane at the open cut mine on August 3.

On January 15, racing enthusiast Luke O’Brien was fatally injured after being pinned between two vehicles in the fuel bay area at Saraji mine.

Originally published as Frank Thomas remembered as a ‘beautiful person’ after tragic workplace death