Witness recounts horror as tradie with critical burns named
The tradie fighting for life after a horror workplace accident on the Gold Coast has been identified.
He is James 'Jimmy' Badcock, 34, a father of two, including a new baby girl, and a keen surfer originally from the Sunshine Coast.
Mr Badcock and a colleague were installing solar panels at an Ashmore shopping centre on Tuesday when they suffered severe electrical burns.
He remains in a critical but stable condition in the burns unit in the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.
Renee Agnew, whose son was getting a haircut at the Pit Stop centre when the accident happened, told of the distressing scenes.
"One guys (sic) clothes were blown off with him, he was burnt all over," she posted on Facebook.
"The other guys face was burnt off, so friggen scary. I was in shock witnessing this terrible accident. The sound of the explosion was so loud! God help these poor young men."
Mr Badcock is a director of Burleigh Heads-based Queensland Commercial Solar which was installing the panels at the Pit Stop centre, owned by the family of millionaire Gold Coast developer Norm Rix.
His business partner, Matt Zammit, has declined to comment.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is investigating the cause of the accident.
Mr Badcock's injured colleague has been released from Gold Coast University Hospital.
Originally published as Witness recounts horror, as tradie with critical burns identified
