
A hard-working 15-year-old who âcould brighten any roomâ has died after a workplace accident only six months into the job.
Beau Bradford was concreting on a building site at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast when an object fell from the boom of a pump truck and struck him about 7am on Monday.
Paramedics treated him at the scene before rushing him to Gold Coast University Hospital, but he could not be saved.
âThey worked on him for a long time before they could even transport him,â Beauâs mother, Amanda Dalrymple, told 7NEWS.com.au.
âIâm about to have to turn his heart machine off because heâs already gone⊠so (Iâm) not very well.â

Dalrymple, along with Beauâs father Cameron Bradford and his eight-year-old sister, Irah, are âheartbroken beyond wordsâ as they try to ânavigate the unimaginableâ.
She said Beau was always happy and âa light in the roomâ.
âHe was very funny. He loved dressing up. He loved his shoes. He loved his friends and his family, and he loved working,â she said.
âI just loved how he annoyed me all the time, and thought it was so funny â how he played his gangsta music in my car and made me listen to it, how he would tell me about his Rust game and I had no idea what he was talking about.â
âWasnât built for classroom wallsâ
Beauâs aunt Alicia Downs said the teenager âwasnât built for classroom wallsâ and had left school to pursue concreting full-time.
He first began working at Dominoâs with Dalrympleâs sister before taking on the concreting job about six months ago.
He was due to sign his apprenticeship in the coming weeks and dreamed of one day running his own company.

âHe loved being on-site, learning new things and pushing himself,â Downs wrote on a GoFundMe page to help the family.
âHe had a work ethic that many adults spend a lifetime trying to find, and he was so incredibly proud of the path he was carving for himself.â
She described Beau as a âcherished sonâ, an âadored big brotherâ and a âloved stepson, nephew, grandson and cousinâ.
âHis kindness, his caring heart, and his quick sense of humour could brighten any room.
âIf you ever had the privilege of meeting Beau, youâd know that the world is a lot dimmer today without him.â
Downs said the fundraiser was created to âsupport Beauâs family with funeral costs, time off work to grieve, and anything needed to honour his memory properlyâ.
âSpread your wings and fly high, Beau Beau. You are forever loved, and we will carry your light with us always,â she wrote.
âHeart of the crewâ
A concreting company Beau worked with also shared a heartfelt tribute, calling the 15-year-old âthe heart of this crewâ.
âMate you brought so much joy and laughter to us all,â the post read.
âYour attitude, work ethic and determination for such a young lad, it was so rare and impressive and we were all so proud of you my mate.
âWe will never forget you mate we love you so much and you will forever ever be in our hearts.â

Friends gathered at the hospital to say their goodbyes, with tributes continuing to pour in online.
âFly high lil Beau, it is indescribable everyoneâs pain that youâre gone,â one friend wrote.
âThank you for all the kindness and happiness you brought into everyoneâs life. Always being there when someone needs advice, help or even a smile on their face.â
Another wrote: âGoodbye for now, my friend. I couldnât thank you any more. You always found a way to put a smile on our faces, always found a way to brighten everyoneâs mood⊠honestly one of the best things that ever happened to me.â
âI canât believe you are gone man, we will see each other in another lifetime. So for now stay safe my brother I love you, see you soon.â
Call for safety improvements
Dalrymple has urged authorities to improve safety rules for machinery and equipment on job sites to prevent similar tragedies.
Queensland Police said Beauâs death was âsudden and non-suspiciousâ.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) said it was notified of the incident.
âWHSQ Inspectors attended the site and are investigating,â a spokesperson said.
Originally published on 7NEWS


