I turned off my husband’s life support after Leeds explosion until after Christmas for sake of my children
The partner of a man fatally injured by an exploding jet hose in Leeds has told how she waited until after Christmas to switch off his life support for the sake of their kids.
Estefania Fonseca was told partner Miguel Galvao, 51, was seriously injured at work on December 10, 2022.
Miguel was working as a drainage engineer and when priming the jetting hose, a loud explosion was heard at a Lanes Group Limited site in Leeds.
The end of the hose whipped up at high speed, striking him and he was rushed to hospital. The dad-of-three was placed in an induced coma but after two weeks in hospital, doctors told Estefania there was nothing more they could do for Miguel.
Estefania and Miguel had three children - Angelica, Michael and Jose - and she asked the doctors to hold off on withdrawing life support as she did not want the children to see their dad die around Christmas.
Estefania said: “They asked me if they could switch off the machine and then explained to me that Miguel could pass instantly or breathe by himself between five to seven days. Five days would have been Christmas day so I told them they could not do that because of the kids but they could do it afterwards.
“Since Miguel passed, I have PTSD – it has affected everything. Miguel was my everything, he was my rock.” When Miguel died, it felt like the floor had been taken from under me."
Miguel died on December, 27, 2022.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company failed to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of its employees. They found the end of the hose was suspended in an inspection chamber when a large pressure released. It is thought to be due to a build-up of ice in the system which caused the end of the hose to strike Miguel in the face. The end of the hose should have been mechanically secured in a system such as the vice provided on the vehicle.
Estefania added: “We lived together for 15 years and had planned to marry at Christmas 2023. Michael screamed ‘my dad is dead’ when he saw him in hospital, and he still struggles with anger and grief. Angelica was a real daddy’s girl – she has trouble sleeping and misbehaves because she feels no one cares about what happened to her dad. Jose, our eldest, has tried to be strong, but it has affected him deeply too. The kids often ask why life is so different without daddy.”