Mining worker dies in Australia two weeks before returning home
Ambrose Walton's loved ones have remembered him as a 'great man' who was 'full of adventure'.
A Canadian mining worker who went missing in Western Australia before later being found dead was due to fly home in just two weeks, his "devastated" family have revealed.
Fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) worker Ambrose Walton went missing in a remote part of the Pilbara last Tuesday prompting a land and air search for the 33-year-old.
Walton, employed by contracting company Schlam, had been staying at the Marandoo mine camp near Tom Price, 1,450 kilometres northeast of Perth. He planned to travel to the Brockman Four camp and later meet a friend at Karratha but failed to arrive at either location, according to WA Police.
Canadian mining worker found dead in WA
After two days of searching, authorities found Walton's vehicle crashed roughly 90 kilometres from Karratha and confirmed he had died. It's understood he was a diesel mechanic and regularly travelled around the area, including to and from Perth, for work.
Setting up a fundraising campaign to help cover costs associated with transporting his body home, Walton's loved ones remembered him as a "great man" who was "full of adventure".
"Ambrose was coming back home to the family in just two short weeks, we are absolutely devastated that instead of greeting our brother home, we are now trying to gather the funds to have him returned to us and to plan a funeral," his family wrote.
"We have no words. Our brother Ambrose was a great man. He was full of adventure and truly grabbed life by the reins.
"Ambrose had the biggest heart I have ever known and cared so deeply for his family. What we wouldn’t do to have one more hug, one more laugh, just to hear your voice one last time."
Police say crash occurred on 'unsealed road'
Sergeant Chris Clelland with Tom Price Police said the crash occurred along an unsealed road.
"Sometimes those roads move off into uneven gullied areas due to the nature of the terrain, and that's an area that Mr Walton has gone into and where the crash has occurred," he said, the ABC reported.
"The roads that parallel the railway lines, they're unsealed roads, so you have to take care.
"When we have rain or anything come through the Pilbara it affects the road, so any person using an unsealed access road must drive to the conditions and that means reducing speed and making sure you can see what's coming up ahead of you."
The Major Crash Investigations police department is now making inquiries to determine exactly what caused the crash. Australian authorities are understood to be working with Interpol to arrange for Walton's body to be transferred home.
Anyone with dashcam footage, or who saw Walton driving a white Toyota Hilux along Warlu Road or Roebourne-Wittenoom Road, between Karratha and Tom Price, has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
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