The distraught parents of a teenager who was severely injured at his summer job said their emotional goodbyes to their son last night as they prepare to switch off his support machine today.
Michael McLean, 17, from Kincorth, Aberdeen, suffered a broken neck and two punctured lungs in the accident at Denholm Oilfield Services in Inverurie on Friday- the last day of his placement with the firm.
He had spent six weeks working at the company – which cleans oil industry equipment – to pay for driving lessons and was due to begin sixth year at Kincorth Academy this week.
His father, Mark, a first-aider who also works for the company, was called to help after his son was discovered and administered CPR until paramedics arrived.
Last night, he spoke of his heartbreak as his family gathered at his son’s hospital bed to say their final farewells – and his hope that others will be helped following the tragic loss of his son.
Mr McLean, 42, said: “We got the scans done yesterday and the results this morning.
“They show irreparable damage to his spine and very low activity in the brain.
“His support is going to be switched off tomorrow.
“Michael had an organ donor card through the school and it’s also something we believe in. I’m hopeful some good can come out of this tragic situation and other people can be helped out.”
Mr McLean said he and his wife wanted to thank medical staff at ARI who have cared for their son.
He said: “When they switch (the machine) off it will take about three hours for his heart to stop before they can start on his organs.
“When I saw him today he honestly looked worse than he did two days ago.
“The doctors have done all they can to save him and we have to thank them for that.
“Today has been a really bad day but deep down I knew I’d lost him on Friday.
“Everyone is totally distraught.”
Mr McLean said his son had always been very “safety conscious” and had worked alongside him at the firm in previous years as a summer job.
The Health and Safety Executive are investigating the circumstances of the accident.
Mark had been on a painting job shortly before he was found.
Michael Beveridge, chief executive of the firm, who is based in Glasgow, visited Mark and his parents in hospital after news of the accident emerged.
Mrs McLean, an offshore stewardess who was put on an emergency flight back to Aberdeen on Friday, earlier described Michael as “the nicest kid you could hope to meet”.