'A beautiful soul': Man killed in freak jet ski accident at abandoned mine site
A man has been killed after an unlikely accident at a former mine site in WA's remote north-west.
It's an accident you wouldn't normally associate with a mine.
23-year-old Kyle Staats was riding a jet ski when he collided with another jet ski.
It happened in a flooded and abandoned quarry at the old Atlas Iron site at Pardoo, east of Port Hedland.
The company says the area is off limits to the public and police say it requires local knowledge to get to it.
Kyle suffered a traumatic leg injury and his friends tried to keep him alive as they drove him to hospital.
An ambulance met up with them on the way, but paramedics say Kyle had already died.
His distraught family released a statement saying "his light shone brighter and his spirit was infectious".
"There was nothing he couldn't do nor wouldn't attempt," the statement read.
"The world is a darker place without this beautiful soul."
The rider of the other jet ski, who is in his 40s, wasn't hurt.
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Police are investigating what caused the accident and Atlas Iron are assisting with inquiries, The West Australian reports.
“The mine site has been in care and maintenance for a number of years and is closed to the public,” the company said in a statement.
“There are physical restrictions on access and signs advising the public not to enter the site.”
According to The West Australian, Kyle is believed to have worked in the mining industry, moving to Port Hedland from Queensland several years ago.
