Devoted family man dies after work accident
Daniel Francis was dedicated to his family and his community. Photo: Supplied.
WorkSafe has opened an investigation into the death of a father-of-two who died after an accident while at work.
Daniel Francis, 35, died on January 22 in Wellington intensive care unit, two days after falling from a ladder in Picton.
The dedicated family man, who is survived by his wife Jessica and two young children, was farewelled at a funeral service last week.
A workplace spokesperson says it can take up to a year for investigations to be completed.
“WorkSafe has opened an investigation into a fatal incident on the 20th of January, at 28 High Street, Picton after a person fell from a ladder. WorkSafe can't release information during the investigation, which can take up to 12 months to complete.”
Daniel, known to many as Dan, was the owner and operator of the award-winning building and renovation business Smith & Sons in both Blenheim and Picton.
He was also committed to helping young people in the community he called home, volunteering as one of the first mentors with the Graeme Dingle Foundation’s Career Navigation programme.
Regional manager Kelvin Watts paid tribute to Dan, who was one of the first people to always help.
“He was humble like that, he just got on and helped, without needing any limelight or fanfare.
“Our over-riding memories of Dan will be his vision for making Marlborough a better place, and his deep commitment to giving back and inspiring others.
“Our deepest condolences to Dan’s family, and to all those whose lives were made better through knowing him.
Dan and the team at Smith & Sons are also a sponsor of the Graeme Dingle Foundation Marlborough too – giving of both their time and money.
“As a mentor, Dan was fantastic at developing a strong rapport with his group of students - and he served two years as a mentor (in 2018 and 2019) role-modelling and guiding our young people on their journey to adulthood.”