Armidale man killed by freak lightning strike
A WELL-LOVED Armidale livestock agent, described by friends as a “true Aussie gentlemen,” was attempting to shelter from a violent storm when fatally struck by lightning during a cattle dog trial at a racecourse near Dubbo.
NSW
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A CATTLEDOG enthusiast was trying to seek shelter during a violent thunderstorm when he was killed by a bolt of lightning at a dog trial near Dubbo on over the weekend.
Victor Moar, 53, was a spectator at the Golden Collar Cattle Dog Trials at the Geurie Racecourse on Saturday when a severe electrical storm rolled through the region in the late afternoon, forcing many central west locals to seek refuge inside their homes.
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The respected livestock, property agent and former auctioneer was in the middle of the racecourse when he was struck by lightning and killed instantly.
Lightning was striking five times every minute when he was hit.
“When we arrived we assessed the patient but unfortunately there was nothing we could do,” a NSW Ambulance spokesman said.
The popular Armidale family man was remembered as a “gentleman” who lived with a “zest for life”.
“Nature can be so cruel. That personality certainly was contagious” Coleen Taggart wrote on Facebook.
Friend Damien Timbs said: “Victor was a gentleman of the highest order”.
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Other wellwishers were quick to lend support to Mr Moar’s distraught wife Debbie and his children.
“Victor made an imprint in our lives, for which I will be forever grateful. My heart and prayers go out to you and your wonderful boys,” Lindy Barker posted online.
Mr Moar was the principal at Armitage & Buckley which he ran with his wife since 1995.
“Armitage & Buckley, through Victor’s leadership, have a dedicated and passionate team, who are determined to continue Victor’s legacy into the future,” the firm said in a statement on Facebook.
The NSW Working Stock Dog Association said in a statement Mr Moar was a well-known characters of the circuit.
“He was universally liked and respected, and his contagious good spirits generated a sense of camaraderie at every event he attended,” a NSWWSDA spokesman
The NSWWSDA said Mr Moar’s family insisted the event “press on” in his honour, which it did.
Detectives from Orana Mid-West Police District will prepare a report for the Coroner.