A TRAFFIC engineer who died five months after a catastrophic fall working by a roadside in Barnsley is being remembered by the woman who fought to save his life.
Kenneth Hey, 62, from Penistone, worked for Siemens and was working on a tree on Park Road near the junction with Bank End Road and Kingwell Road, Worsbrough, on September 7 last year when his ladder collapsed from underneath him.
He fell, hitting his head on the pavement. The fall left him with catastrophic brain injuries that rendered him unconscious.
Tara White, 32, from Farm Road, Kendray, was the first on scene and saw the accident happen.
“I was dropping my daughter off at her dad’s and as we came down Sheffield Road a man was on a ladder cutting a tree, his ladder gave way and he collapsed,” she said.
“I thought he had got up but as I got closer I could see he was unconscious so I put him on his side and called an ambulance.
“I supported his head and they sent the air ambulance. He didn’t regain consciousness and they flew him out to Northern General.”
Kenneth was in a coma for five months, but died on February 12 as the result of the injuries he sustained during the fall.
Tara’s seven year old daughter, Taylor Farrah, was also at the scene and witnessed Kenneth’s fall.
“My daughter was really worried about him and kept asking whether he was all right. She asked almost daily if he was OK,” said Tara.
“We took flowers to the site when we were told he had died to remember him. We plan on visiting the site every year to lay flowers and keep his memory alive.”
His son Chris, 38, from Rotherham, said: “He was a jovial person, he was always happy and put a smile on anyone’s face. He could make friends with anyone.”
After the accident, Tara commented on a post online saying that she had been the first on the scene and Chris got in touch.
“At the time of the accident we didn’t know what had happened and I went online to the We Are Barnsley Page and saw Tara’s post and contacted her to thank her.
“I said I would keep her informed with my dad’s progress, or if anything changed.
“I know that if it had been me in that situation I would have wanted to know what had happened.
“I know a lot of people wouldn’t have the guts to stop and help but Tara did, and she did what she could for my dad and was one of the reasons he made it to hospital and we are very grateful for that.
“It’s been a hard five months, there have been moments when we thought we saw something but we got through Christmas and birthdays, he tried his best and that’s all anyone could ask for.”
Both Tara and Chris are planning to visit the site of the fall on the anniversary of Kenneth’s death to remember him each year.
