The NSW Bushfires Coronial Inquiry has heard heartbreaking details about the moment a tree fell on a fire truck, killing volunteer firefighters during the 2019-20 bushfires.
Geoffrey Keaton, aged 32, and Andrew O'Dwyer, 36, were killed when a tree fell onto their fire truck near Buxton on the night of December 19, 2019, causing their truck to veer off the road and roll down an embankment.
"We were driving along, I didn't see it, it was just a big thump," witness Carlos Quinteros, who was also in the truck, said.
"I looked up and all I could see was the roof in front of me, I felt the truck bounce twice and the horn was sounding for a few seconds.
"After the truck came to a stop, there were a few minutes of dead silence, then I just heard screaming," he said.
The crew had been on night shift, fighting the Green Wattle Creek Bushfire, in a convoy of four trucks travelling between Buxton and Balmoral.
Fire had already gone through the area, but trees were still smouldering and alight by the side of the road.
During an inquest into the two deaths, the coroner heard Mr Keaton, who was driving the truck at the time, was likely killed the moment the tree came down.
The truck then travelled 92 metres before it hit a ditch and rolled.
Mr O'Dwyer died a short time later as a result of head injuries, despite the best efforts of other RFS volunteers who rushed to assist.
Mr Quinteros told the inquiry his ear was severed in the incident and had to be reattached.
He also suffered a broken back and has no feeling in the upper part of his right leg.
'It was an accident'
Dash cam footage recovered from the truck and played to the court, showed the tree falling directly onto the top of the truck, which was travelling along Wilsons Road in the Southern Highlands.
NSW Police Crash Investigations Unit leading senior officer Brian Wilson said there was no evidence of braking after the tree came down.
"In my opinion, it was likely Geoffrey [Keaton] had no control of the vehicle once the tree hit the top of the truck," leading senior officer Brian Wilson said.
"It was an accident because the tree clearly falls on top of the truck."
The two other firefighters who were in the truck with Mr Keaton and Mr O'Dwyer will give evidence at the inquest tomorrow.
