Dog Rescuer Died On Unfenced Site: Neighbours
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday August 14, 2008
THE western Sydney building site where a man died trying to rescue his dog yesterday morning was not fenced off, neighbours said.
Police believe John Korol died while trying to rescue his dog, which had fallen down one of 20 two metre-deep holes scattered across the building site in First Street, Kingswood.The body of the 39-year-old greenkeeper was found head first down the hole around 8.30am, police said.The dog, a Jack Russell cross, was rescued later alive and well."They've finally put fencing around the construction and put signs up," a neighbour said. "This morning they only had one single ribbon around it. There are a lot of kids that live here."The neighbour said clearing began on the land six months ago but construction work on the extension to a block of flats, including digging the holes, did not start until this week.Another neighbour said Mr Korol - a long-term resident who was named the Sydney Cricket Association shires competition's groundsman of the year for his work on Lane Cove's Tantallon Oval - was concerned about the work behind his flat."We had a discussion about the danger with all the kids about, we discussed it more than once," he said. "You could not see the holes. My wife almost backed the car into a hole."There was no effort taken for anyone's safety, nothing was done. That fence should have been erected yesterday. The workers just took off at the end of the day, they didn't put any boards across the holes."He always walked his dog; he loved that dog. The dog would have run straight out of the house into the hole. He would have been very concerned and would have chased after it. Poor John obviously slipped and broke his neck."Police said Mr Korol's relatives were being notified and a report for the coroner would be prepared.WorkCover officers attended the site and are investigating, a spokeswoman said.
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald
