He was the kind of person, he always wanted to help others… – SISTER SAYS AS FAMILY MOURNS FINNISH WORKER KI-LLED IN Brisbane SCAFFOLDING TRAG-EDY
‘Nobody should go to work and never come back.’
A young tradie who came to Australia for a better life has died after a fall at a construction site, leaving his family searching for answers.
Miikael “Mikey” Varuhin, 32, a Finnish construction worker, fell about four metres through scaffolding at a Clayfield development in Brisbane, Queensland, on Easter Monday, suffering a catastrophic brain injury.
He had moved to Brisbane seven years ago and made the city his home.
“He made Brisbane his home and he wanted to build his life here and eventually have a family,” his sister Anniina told 7NEWS.
“They told me initially he had a devastating brain injury and he had fallen off scaffolding,” she said.
Varuhin was declared brain dead later that night.
His family flew to Australia to say goodbye, as the 32-year-old’s final act saw him donate his organs, potentially saving up to five lives.
“He was the kind of person, he always wanted to help others,” his sister said.
His death is now under investigation by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.
7NEWS understands Varuhin had raised concerns about the scaffolding on site on the day he fell and had sent a photo from his phone.
“This is an injustice what happened no one should go to work and never come back,” Anniina said.
Lawyer Scott Keft from Maurice Blackburn said the family could face a long wait for answers.
“It is a very tragic situation where a young man has lost his life during the course of his work,” he said.
“Where a person dies without having a spouse or partner or children, the compensation available is quite limited.”
The builder declined to respond to a request for comment.
