The heartbroken partner of a father-of-three who passed away following a jet hose explosion at his workplace recounted how she chose to wait until after Christmas to turn off his life support.
Miguel Galvao, 51, was struck by the hose while at work in Leeds and seriously injured on December 10, 2022. He died in hospital 17 days later.
Mr. Galvao, employed as a drainage engineer, experienced a powerful blast while priming the jetting hose at the Lanes Group Limited premises in West Yorkshire.
The end of the hose whipped up at high speed, striking him in the head and he was rushed to hospital.
The father was kept in an induced coma, but after two weeks at the hospital, doctors informed his partner, Estefania Fonseca, that further medical intervention was futile.
The couple had three children, Angelica, Michael and Jose.
Ms Fonseca made the heartbreaking decision to keep their father on life support until after Christmas, so they could spend one last holiday together.
She revealed: ‘They requested permission to turn off the machine and explained that Miguel might pass immediately or could continue to breathe unaided for five to seven days.’
Miguel Galvao, 51, was struck by the hose while at work in Leeds and seriously injured on December 10, 2022. He died in hospital 17 days later
‘Five days would have been Christmas Day so I told them they could not do that because of the kids, but they could do it afterwards.
‘Since Miguel passed, I have PTSD – it has affected everything. Miguel was my everything, he was my rock.
‘When Miguel died, it felt like the floor had been taken from under me.’
Mr Galvao died on December, 27, 2022.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation determined that the company did not adequately ensure the health, safety, and welfare of its employees to a reasonable extent.
Lanes Group Limited were fined £800,000 over the incident on October 2 at City of London Magistrates’ Court.
The HSE investigation found the morning of the incident was very cold, with witnesses describing temperatures dropping to around -3 to -4 degrees.
The hose’s end had been positioned in an inspection chamber when a significant pressure release, likely from ice buildup, caused it to strike Miguel in the face.
Lanes Group Limited were fined £800,000 over the incident on October 2 at City of London Magistrates’ Court
But it should have been mechanically secured in a system such as the vice provided on the vehicle.
Ms Fonesca added: ‘We lived together for 15 years and had planned to marry at Christmas 2023.
‘We have three children – Angelica, Michael and Jose. It has been so difficult for them to cope without their dad.
‘Michael screamed ‘my dad is dead’ when he saw him in hospital, and he still struggles with anger and grief.
‘Angelica was a real daddy’s girl – she has trouble sleeping and misbehaves because she feels no one cares about what happened to her dad.
‘Jose, our eldest, has tried to be strong, but it has affected him deeply too.
‘I have good days and bad days, but everything has changed.
‘We used to go out as a family every two weeks – to the cinema, to London, or even just to the park late at night – Miguel loved making memories with the children.
‘We can’t do that now. The kids often ask why life is so different without daddy.’
She added that finances had been difficult since Mr Galvao’s death and she is now relying on benefits while she takes care of the children.
‘We don’t have a car anymore, I can’t always afford the heating, and I have to choose which child I can buy something for each month,’ Ms Fonesca said.
‘It is heartbreaking. 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 mum’s house there, and that is where we buried him. It is what he would have wanted.
‘He worked for this company for nearly 10 years, and it hurts that he never came home from work.
‘They came to his funeral but never spoke to me or the children. That lack of respect has been so painful.
‘Miguel was a wonderful father and partner. He went to work that day and never came home. Our lives will never be the same without him.’
The Water Jetting Association, a trade association representing those carrying out high pressure water jetting, released a safety alert reminding operators of the importance of restraining or anchoring the end of jetting hoses in the aftermath of Mr Galvao’s death.
Lanes Group Limited of Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, pleaded guilty to breaches under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
The company was fined £800,000 – reduced from £1.2 million due to the early guilty plea.
They were ordered to pay £8,680 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge at City of London Magistrates’ Court on October 2, 2025.
HSE inspector Marcus Pope said: ‘This absolutely tragic incident further demonstrates the need for companies to ensure there are suitable safe systems of work for non-routine work, such as work in freezing temperatures where machines are at risk of freezing.
‘This investigation and the input from the Water Jetting Association should help demonstrate to the industry the importance of restraining or anchoring the end of jetting hoses when priming systems.’
