Aussie boss’s heartbreaking tribute to ‘kind and cheeky’ 20-year-old worker who ended his life: ‘It’s so hard’

Walter Lucas, a 20-year-old worker at a Melbourne excavation business, died by suicide on 30 July. His boss, Charlie Jarratt, has spoken about his grief and urged people experiencing mental health difficulties to seek support, saying Lucas’s death had a profound impact on him and those around them.

Jarratt said Lucas had joined Little Bear Earthworks only a few months earlier but was remembered as kind, good-hearted and cheeky. After sharing a tribute online, Jarratt said five men contacted him over two days about relationship and financial problems and feelings of inadequacy; he has since employed Lucas’s younger brother and remains close to the family. Australian support services listed include Lifeline, Kids Helpline and Beyond Blue.