To Estefania Fonsecathe decision of remove life support to her husband it affected «every aspect» of her life. Miguel Galvao He worked as a drainage engineer in a public services and infrastructure company, in Yorkshire west, England.
One morning in December 2022, he suffered a terrible accident while preparing the jet hose, which It exploded and hit his head. He had to be rushed to a hospital, where he was put into a coma.
After two weeks in the hospital, The doctors told Estefanía that they could not do anything else for Miguel. «They asked me if they could disconnect the machine and then they explained to me that Miguel could die instantly or breathe on his own in five to seven days,» Estefanía said.
It was five days until Christmas. Estefanía explained to the doctors that «she couldn’t do it for the children.» For 15 years she lived with Miguel, with whom she raised a family of three children: Angelica, Michael and José. Estefanía and Miguel had planned to get married in December 2023. However, the fateful accident a year before ruined all their plans.
Miguel Galvao worked as a drainage engineer in a public services and infrastructure company. Photo: Health and Safety Executive.«Since Miguel passed away, I suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and that affected every aspect of my life. Miguel was everything to me, he was my rock. When Miguel died, I felt as if the ground had been removed from under my feet,» said Estefanía.
According to her, the death of her husband, who was 51 years old, also It was «very difficult» for his children to «cope». «Michael screamed ‘my dad is dead’ when he saw him in the hospital, and he still struggles with anger and pain. Angelica was a real daddy’s girl: she has trouble sleeping and acts out because she feels like no one cares about what happened to her dad. José, our oldest son, tried to be strong, but this also affected him deeply,» she said.
Although she has «good days» and «bad days,» Estefanía feels that «everything has changed» since her departure. «We used to go out as a family every two weeks, to the cinema, to London or even to the park late at night. Miguel loved creating memories with children«he recalled.
He said that «Children often ask why life is so different» without their fatherwho was the financial breadwinner of the family. Now Estefania is «forced to resort to social benefits,» but is «incapable of giving the children» the life they had «before.» «We no longer have a car, I can’t always pay for heating and I have to choose which child I buy something for each month. It’s heartbreaking,» she added.
The tragedy of Miguel Galvao: a family broken by job security failures
According to an investigation by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Health and Safety Executive), the UK regulator for health and safety at work, the morning of the incident was very cold, with temperatures of three to four degrees below zero.
The jet system was being filled with water for use. The end of the hose was suspended in an inspection chamber when a large release of pressure occurred. It is believed that An ice buildup in the system caused the end of the hose to burst. and hit Miguel on the head.
The HSE concluded that Lanes Group Limited «failed, so far as was reasonably practicable, to ensure the health, safety and well-being of its employees». Among the main deficiencies detected, the agency found that there was no safe work system that detailed how the priming of the jet system should be carried out safely.
Miguel Galvao suffered a terrible accident while preparing the jet hose, which exploded and hit his head. Photo: Health and Safety Executive.The work equipment was also not kept in an efficient state, as several other jet vehicles were observed with defective vices. Besides, the use of established physical control measures was not supervisednor were employees provided with sufficient information, instruction, training and supervision.
The company acknowledged its criminal responsibility and pleaded guilty before the City of London Magistrates’ Courtwhere he received a fine of £800,000 on October 2, 2025, reduced from 1,200,000 for the early guilty plea. He will also face costs of £8,680 and a victim penalty of £2,000, according to the HSE.
«This tragic incident demonstrates once again the need for companies to guarantee the existence of safe work systems and suitable for non-routine tasks, such as working in sub-zero temperatures, where machines are at risk of freezing,» said the HSE inspector Marcus Pope.
The pain of a family after the loss of Miguel
Estefania said that Miguel’s dream was to buy a house and retire in Portugal. «When my father died, he said he would be happy living in my mother’s house there, and that’s where we buried him. It’s what he would have wanted,» he explained.
An investigation concluded that Lanes Group Limited «failed, to the extent reasonably practicable, to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its employees.» Photo: Health and Safety Executive.He added that he worked for Lanes Group Limited for almost 10 years, and even Members of the company attended the funeral, but «never» spoke to her or her children. «That lack of respect was very painful,» Estefanía said.
«Miguel was a wonderful father and partner. That day he went to work and never came home. Our lives will never be the same without him.«, held.
