A young Albion Park man's life was tragically cut short in a workplace incident at BlueScope's Port Kembla steelworks, just weeks before his 25th birthday.
Jack McGrath, aged 24, was working as a contractor at the Springhill Road site when the fatal accident occurred on Monday, November 17, 2025.
Final words to his mother
In what would become their final conversation, Jack called his mother Tamara Carlson just before the incident. His grandmother Kim Funnell shared the heartbreaking details of their last exchange.
"He'd actually called her and was talking to her and he says, 'I've gotta go cause I've gotta tie up this steel beam'," Ms Funnell recalled. "He said 'love ya' and she said 'yeah, yeah, I'll talk to you later'."
Emergency services rushed to the Steelworks site at approximately 10:30am after reports of an industrial accident. Despite their efforts, Jack was pronounced dead at the scene.
A family devastated
The tragedy has left Jack's family shattered, including his mother Tamara, siblings Tiffany, Caden and Coen, father Daniel McGrath, and stepfather Glenn Carlson.
"They're pretty devastated because he was a good son to my daughter," Ms Funnell said through tears. "He was a good brother to the twins and to his sister, and he's got stepsiblings as well. He was just a good brother and a good uncle."
Family members described Jack as someone who cherished time with friends, his dog Fendi, and his close-knit family. The former Dapto High and Edmund Rice College student had passions for cars, four-wheel-driving, and socialising with mates.
Community mourns a 'legend'
In the hours following his death, friends gathered at the Dandaloo Hotel in Dapto to raise a glass in Jack's memory.
His aunt, Haley Teuma, remembered him as having "a heart for everyone."
"He was an absolute legend, didn't have a mean bone in his body," she said.
Tributes flooded social media, with Nadine Stead writing: "So very devastating to everybody. He was very well known and most beautiful boy you've ever known this should never have happened."
Marteyn Cull described Jack as "forever that lovable kid who always had a smile on his face and a glint in your eye."
Friend Nathan Cordina posted an emotional tribute, calling Jack an "absolute legend of a bloke" and adding: "You were just too good for this world brother. Thank you for all the good and funny times we shared."
Investigation underway
Jack was employed by contracting company Ventia at the time of the incident. SafeWork NSW has launched a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal accident, with a report to be prepared for the coroner.
The family confirmed they are yet to hear directly from BlueScope following Jack's death.
As the investigation continues, Jack's mother Tamara has sought solace with her horses, which family members describe as her "happy place" during difficult times.
The workplace tragedy has sent shockwaves through the Illawarra community, raising questions about industrial safety protocols at major manufacturing sites.
