Tributes pour in for soldiers killed in army vehicle rollover
Tributes have flooded in for a man who died after an army vehicle rolled over near Townsville, with friends and family remembering him for his “heart of gold”.
Brendon Payne has been identified as one of the two Australian Defence Force personnel who perished following the Monday afternoon crash.
His 40-year-old colleague is yet to be identified, and the pair were members of the Brisbane-based 7th Combat Brigade.
Emergency services responded to reports of the single vehicle crash on Dotswood Road, west of Townsville, with forensic investigators also attending the scene.
Despite the efforts of both paramedics and Defence rescue and medical teams, both soldiers died at the scene.
Police and the Department of Defence are investigating the incident.
Mr Payne’s friends and family shared their heartbreak and tributes to the 29-year-old on social media.
“Words cannot express the heartache my family and my brother and his family losing his 1st born,” Mr Payne’s aunt wrote.
“Our beautiful aimee brendons wife and best friend know that we love you so very much and thankyou for coming into our lives but mostly for making our brendon the happiest man ever.”
A friend said: “My brother I can’t even speak it’s like [a] dagger gone into my heart you are honestly one of my best friends my brother in arms you are and always will be my brother.”
Another said Mr Payne would “stay with us all forever”.
“His beautiful smile and gorgeous soul. We’re heartbroken,” she wrote.
A third described Mr Payne as having a “heart of gold”.
Image: Facebook
Queensland Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk expressed her sympathies to the families of the two men on Tuesday.
“I extend my sincere condolences to the family, friends and entire defence force community mourning the loss of two of their own in an army vehicle rollover in North Queensland yesterday,” she wrote on Twitter.
Army Chief Lieutenant General Rick Burr said: “This is a tragic accident and our deepest sympathies go to the families and loved ones of our soldiers.”
Defence Minister Peter Dutton shared the tragedy in Parliament on Monday, and Shadow Defence Minister Brendon O’Connor shared his deepest sympathy on behalf of Labor.
“This is tragic news and we extend our condolences to their family, friends, and colleagues for this devastating loss,” he said.
Image: Facebook