Anakie man Robin Waller died from ride-on lawnmower injuries, report finds

Details of the tragic death of an Anakie man who died in a ride-on lawnmower incident have been revealed in a coronial report.

A coronial report has revealed how Anakie man Robin Woller died while operating a ride-on lawnmower.

An Anakie man who was found dead under his ride-on lawnmower lost control of the machine because its load was too heavy, a coroner has found.

Robin Woller, 76, was found dead by his wife at their rural property on February 20, 2023.

Coroner Paul Lawrie said the lawnmower’s heavy loaded trailer and the slope it was ridden on may have caused the ride-on to lose control or roll over.

“It is sobering that a loss of control of this type could occur even though Mr Woller was experienced with the ride-on mower and familiar with the terrain over which he was operating,” he said.

Mr Woller was working on his paddock where he had been cutting and clearing a large fallen tree branch using a ride-on mower hitched to a small trailer for hauling the cut wood about lunchtime.

About 4pm, Ms Woller’s wife Patricia went to look for her husband as he had not returned to the house as expected.

She found the ride-on mower and its small trailer both tipped on their side at the bottom of the paddock and could see her husband’s legs on top of the upturned mower but could not see the rest of him.

Mrs Woller then phoned a neighbour who found Mr Woller lying on his back pushed up against the wheel of an unhitched 6x4 trailer with the ride-on mower’s trailer partially on top of him.

There were logs of wood on and around his chest.

The Anakie property where Mr Woller died in February 2023.

Mrs Woller called triple-0 and the neighbour commenced CPR, however he was declared dead at 4.40pm.

Victoria Police investigators attended and examined the scene and observed tyre marks on the grass, suggesting the ride-on mower and its trailer had travelled down and across the slope of the paddock from west to east.

Forensic pathologist Dr Joanne Ho said the autopsy and post-mortem CT scan revealed multiple rib fractures and Mr Woller’s cause of death was chest and pelvic injuries sustained in a ride on lawnmower incident.

According to the coronial report, the ride-on mower had been out of service between December 2022 and January 2023 and the grass around the property was longer than usual.

In February last year, family friend Natasha Boreland said Mr Woller was an admired figure.

“Bob had the kindest heart and the most wicked sense of humour,” she said.

In the last five years, 13 people had been killed in Victoria in incidents involving ride-on mowers, with six of those cases involved the mower rolling over or tipping, Mr Lawrite wrote.

Originally published as Anakie man Robin Waller died from ride-on lawnmower injuries, report finds