Father furious after coroner denies inquest into Donald Rabbit Curragh mine crush death

A shattered father says the coroner’s decision not to hold an inquest into his son’s death leaves a critical question about mine safety unanswered.

Coronado Global Resources Curragh coal mine in Queensland. Picture: Supplied by Coronado Global Resources.

A father says he will keep fighting for answers and change after a coroner denied an inquest into the death of his son who was fatally crushed by a mine truck tyre.

Donald ‘Donnie’ Rabbit had been changing tyres for his dad since he was 13, a young kid from Goondiwindi.

He was replacing a tyre at the Coronado Curragh mine site on January 12, 2020, when an error led him to be crushed under the five-tonne tyre and killed, aged 33.

After three dropped prosecutions and almost five years of investigations, his father Robin Rabbitt still has the same question — why was he doing a job for three people on his own?

A coronial inquest was Robin’s last official chance for answers after four years and 22 adjourned court appearances.

Donald 'Donnie' Rabbitt was killed by a fallen mine truck tyre in January 12, 2020 at the Coronado Curragh mine. Picture: Supplied

Now, he’s been told that will never happen.

“I won’t give up,” Robin said.

“I want to know why he was there.”

Robin Rabbitt reads a letter from a Queensland coroner informing him no inquest will be held into the death of his son. Picture: Supplied

The coroner’s report — seen by this masthead — argues an inquest is not necessary because the investigations gave Magistrate O’Connell enough information to make findings about Donald’s death.

Those investigations include discontinued court cases against mine operator Coronado Curragh, contractor Thiess, and a site senior executive.

“There does not appear to be any prospect of making recommendations that would reduce the likelihood of similar deaths occurring in future,” Magistrate O’Connell wrote in a letter to Robin.

Donald 'Donnie' Rabbitt (left) was changing tyres as young as 13, and professionally from 17. Picture: Supplied

Less than two years after Donald’s death, dragline operator Clark Peadon was crushed and killed at the same mine, with charges formally laid against Coronado last month.

The coroner’s report explains it was the tyre and rim assembly that fell on and crushed Donald, possibly because the tyre handler — a large forklift-like piece of equipment — had not properly secured the tyre.

Donald Rabbitt, 33 and Clark Peadon, 54, were both killed at Curragh mine about 22 months apart in January 2020 and November 2021 respectively.

The coroner’s report claims that Donald did not raise the issue the tyre change was a multi-person task, and neither did his supervisor nor the site safety officer.

“Each person should have known, and identified, that it was a multi-person minimum task,” the report reads.

“It may have been (and I can only speculate) that it was Mr Rabbitt’s unfamiliarity in doing that particular job (a tyre of that nature) which meant he did not immediately know he needed multiple persons to be present and assist when undertaking that task.”

Robin Rabbitt still takes the time to sit with his son at his final resting place. Picture: Supplied

But Robin said he still believed there were unanswered questions, given his son was working multiple days alone in that role when the other two people originally rostered on weren’t there.

“I don’t know how someone can work for five days without the supervisor realising he was the only one there,” Robin said.

“I don’t see how him working on his own when he was killed wasn’t a safety issue.”

Donald 'Donnie' Rabbitt (wearing polo shirt) with his younger nieces and nephews. Picture: Supplied

The report speculates the tyre wasn’t secured properly when it became loose, falling on and crushing Donald. That could have been avoided with a second or third person spotting, it suggests.

Robin believes the heat, along with strenuous work of climbing and removing heavy bolts, played a role in his son’s death.

He said his son was a worker under the duty of other people who were paid to give him a safe working environment, and said mine safety needed to be overhauled.

“The people who send their sons away to the mines realise what is going on up there,” Robin said.

“I didn’t realise until my son was killed. You just don’t know.”

Originally published as Father furious after coroner denies inquest into Donald Rabbit Curragh mine crush death