Tawake Talemaibau William Bucece had promised his father he would come home on January 9 to see him.

But instead, the employee of an Energy Fiji Limited contractor came home in a casket days after falling from a power pole at Malau in Labasa. He was admitted at the Labasa Intensive Care Unit for six days but did not recover from the injuries he suffered from the fall. He was 26 years old.

The late Mr Bucece’s employer was one of the 11 contractors deployed by Energy Fiji Limited to undertake restoration works in the North after Tropical Cyclone Yasa.

His father, Ilai Bucece of Namalata in Kubulau, Bua, said: “I called him around 11am to ask him to come home for a visit and he assured me with great excitement that he would come home.

“By the end of the day, I received the bad news and found out that he couldn’t speak anymore.

“Tawake was my third eldest child in the family,” said the father of six.

“He had been working for the company for two years with his second elder brother in Suva.

“He was a very humble person and never thought about getting married.”

The 56-year-old farmer said and his wife were still shocked from the damages to their four-bedroom home after Cyclone Yasa.

And with this, it had become a double tragedy.

“Currently, my wife and I stay at home,” he said.

“My son’s company and EFL helped us with the funeral arrangements and we are thankful to them.”

The late Mr Bucece was buried at his village.

Energy Fiji chief executive officer Hasmukh Patel said: “This accident happened when the victim had almost reached the top of the power pole and was trying to position himself to enable him to carry out repairs, when he accidentally fell.”

He said an investigation panel had completed the detailed investigation and the EFL management was now reviewing the report.

“It is rather unfortunate that this accident has happened considering that the victim was trained, had the necessary experience, was equipped with the required safety gear to safeguard against such mishaps.

“EFL, the power line contractor with the assistance of the medical personnel tried their utmost to rescue the victim, unfortunately, the victim passed away after six days in intensive care.

“EFL sympathises with the grieving family on the passing away of a loved one.”

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

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