New owner of burnt hostel faces grim rebuild as more details emerge

The new owner of the Bowen hostel decimated by fire has shared details about the person whose life was tragically claimed and what it means for his family.

Firefighters work to put out a fire at Barnacles Backpackers Bowen. Photo: Supplied

One of the new owners of the Bowen backpackers’ hostel fire has revealed the victim whose life was tragically claimed was someone ‘connected to it’.

Father-of-three Scott Kennedy said his family’s dream of owning and running Barnacles Backpackers was ‘up in smoke’ after the fatal blaze destroyed the building just hours after they were set to make it their own.

“Tragically, a life was also lost in the fire,” Mr Kennedy posted on a Gofundme he created.

“While the identity of the person is still unconfirmed, it is believed to be someone connected to the property. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this heartbreaking event.”

Police investigations are underway after the grim discovery of the body was made in one of the hostel’s burnt out vacant rooms on Wednesday after authorities initially believed all those inside had been accounted for and evacuated safely at the time of the fire.

A mechanic staying at Barnacles at the time was woken by a fire alarm and tried to save the person before the blaze consumed the building.

Beau Barber said smoke had been pouring into his room and it was “hot as hell” when he woke up to a fire alarm sounding as a blaze took hold of the building he had been staying in at Barnacles Backpackers.

“I heard glass breaking and I looked out of my window and I saw flames coming from the side of the house,” he said

Beau said he was not able to leave through the evacuation route because “it was all fire and the ceiling had started collapsing”.

Beau Barber was staying at Barnacle Backpackers when it went up in flames on April 30 2025 in Bowen. Picture: Krystal Hender

So he made his way outside via a different exit. It was at this time Beau said he noticed another man, who had also been staying in the building, was nowhere to be seen.

Beau said he went back inside the fiery property with an extinguisher and “banged on his door”.

“I couldn’t wake him,” he said, adding he went back outside and started banging on the wall and “yelling fire, fire” before he was able to rouse his housemate.

“It was very scary… I could have lost my life,” he said.

Beau said he had moved from Mount Isa to Bowen about two months ago for work as a mechanic and had immediately started living at Barnacles.

He said the Monday and Tuesday before the fire he had received text messages to leave that building and move into another building at the address that was also part of the hostel accommodation.

He said a number of French backpackers had been moved to the other building on the Monday.

Emergency crews were called just before 3am.

Flames can be seen from a blaze that gutted a backpacker lodge in Bowen. on April 30, 2025.

Beau said sometime that night he was woken by three loud bangs above that he thought came from the top floor of the two-storey building.

“I thought, what’s going on,” he said.

He said he went back to sleep and then woke up to the fire alarm going off and “looked up and (there was) smoke in my room”.

“All the roof and flooring collapsed not long after we got out,” he said.

Beau said had since moved into the other building at the address but had difficulty sleeping and was plagued by flashbacks.

“I keep thinking maybe this place might get lit on fire,” he said.

“We were just about to make it real — until everything changed,” Mr Kennedy said.

“On the morning of 30 April 2025, just hours before the property settlement, a devastating fire completely destroyed the main residence — the building we were going to live in and the heart of our business plan.

Police set up a crime scene at Barnacles Backpackers in Bowen after a fire engulfed the building, April 30, 2025

“Our dream was to build a life here, raise our family, and open a local backpacker hostel.”

They only raised just over $300 before Mr Kennedy closed the fundraiser calling for the community’s financial help.

Mr Kennedy said despite the tragedy, “we were forced to complete the purchase the next day under the terms of the contract”.

“The property was uninsured, and the small price reduction offered came nowhere close to covering the damage. We are now left with a destroyed home, no protection, and a huge clean-up bill,” he said.

Mr Kennedy is thankful a second building on the property survived.

“We still have the ability to operate a 40-bed hostel, and our new business, Mangoes Backpacker Hostel and Farmstay, is still alive,” he said.

“We’re committed to rebuilding, staying strong for our kids, and contributing to this amazing community we now call home.”

Originally published as New owner of burnt hostel faces grim rebuild as more details emerge