The family of a teenager has been left devastated after a tragic workplace incident claimed his life. Matis Dugast, 19, tragically passed away on Tuesday following an accident at his new job as a wheelbarrow operator with a public works company, which he joined in January. The appalling incident took place when he was engulfed by 200C asphalt at a construction site in Sainte-Flaive-des-Loups, Vendee, western France.
In the wake of the dreadful event, his heartbroken mother has spoken out, determined to keep her son’s memory alive. Speaking to Journal des Sables, she revealed: “We no longer sleep, we no longer eat. Right now, it’s hell on Earth. At 6:16pm, our family died.” She is resolute in her mission to honour Matis and to spare other families from enduring such pain. Considering setting up an association to promote safety within the construction industry, she aims to prevent similar tragedies, as reported by the Express, reports the Daily Star.
She detailed her plans: “It (The association) will bear my son’s name and its purpose will be to prevent workplace risks. We want to help people, give them a sense of purpose, and allow them to speak out. To gain recognition for these high-risk professions. We don’t want such horrors to continue. We want him to live on through us and this association.”
Born in Charleville-Mézière, Matis Dugast was the youngest of four siblings, with three sisters. Just three months after his birth, his family moved to Rives de l’Yon in Vendee. His mother warmly remembered how he always claimed he hailed from Vendee, not the Ardennes.
She spoke of him as a whirlwind of joy and vitality – “a real lifesaver” in their daily lives. The family is also planning to hold a silent march to commemorate their beloved son. She announced: “We’ll talk as a family to set a date, but it will be in the next few weeks. We want to honour him. And above all, put a stop to all these workplace accidents!”
In another tragic incident in France, earlier this month, a newborn baby died after being dropped on her head in a hospital, allegedly by a six year old boy. Following the death of Zayneb-Cassandra at the Jeanne-de-Flandre Children’s Hospital in Lille, northern France, authorities have initiated a criminal investigation.
The infant was declared dead last Tuesday following a traumatic brain injury sustained the previous Friday, reportedly caused when the boy dropped her onto the floor, treating her “like a doll,” an investigative source claimed.