An Adelaide father learned of his newlywed son's death under horrific circumstances when he went to his son's workplace after he failed to return home.
Max Parkin discovered the body of his 26-year-old son, Josh Parkin, on Wednesday morning at a worksite in Charleston, near Lobethal, South Australia. Josh Parkin had not returned home Tuesday night to complete the national census, prompting his father's concern.
It is understood that Josh Parkin was operating a large tree chipper at the time of the incident. His mother, Tanya Thomson, described the devastating realization of her son's death.
"His dad went and found him," Thomson told The Advertiser. "I reckon for the next two hours, I was just walking around the house repeating the word 'No, no, no, no, no, no.' We've all been waiting to wake up from this nightmare for the last two days."
Thomson described her son as empathetic, funny, loving, and possessing a strong work ethic. "He just loved people – he would give anyone the shirt off his back," she said.
Josh Parkin had married his high school sweetheart, Mekayla Jane, in April. The couple had been together since childhood.
SafeWork SA is investigating the cause of the workplace incident.