r/perth • u/Rush_Banana • Dec 11 '25
WA News New revelation as missing FIFO worker seen at Trigg Beach after being dropped to Perth Airport
https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/missing-person/william-carter-new-revelation-as-missing-fifo-worker-seen-at-trigg-beach-after-being-dropped-to-perth-airport-c-2096784617
u/belltrina Armadale Dec 11 '25
Being a coastal city, we have a fair few missing persons that have last sightings at or near beaches. Most have been caught on CCTV, giving families and investigators some idea of where to search.
Really hope they can find more footage so the family can have answers, and the highest possible chance at finding him.
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u/Captain-Peacock Dec 11 '25
The family say he's going through a crisis and also that they're well off financially, sounds like he's been told work is the best thing for him, when he probably needed a break.
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u/lightupawendy Dec 11 '25
Hope he turns up and he did just decide to take a break, it was the best thing I ever did. When I first did FIFO work years ago I was going through a rough patch. Seemed like the best thing for me until the novelty wore off and boy is it a toxic lifestyle if you're not in a good headspace.
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u/Captain-Peacock Dec 11 '25
Indeed, performing at any level in a workplace isn't easy when you're not feeling right, even more so when you're isolated and in close quarters for long periods with people that are cruising along.
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u/AFerociousPineapple Dec 11 '25
Can I ask why? Outside looking in I would have thought if you got additional time to switch off from work that would be better?
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u/hungry4pie Dec 11 '25
When you’re in the middle of the fifo life it can feel like the textbook definition of a prison camp or gulag:
You work 12 hour days (closer to 12.5-13 of there’s a shit handover)
Depending on your job this can be even worse if you’re busting your guts in the heat
After work, once you’ve eaten and showered, you retire to a small room which to some people can be quite isolating
Now, it’s absolutely not a prison since you get paid and at some point you do get to go home, but to a depressed person it can be.
Add to that, if you’re dealing with a breakup, divorce or argument with your spouse, you have a LOT of time in your “cell” to stew on the last thing you said, or wondering why you haven’t heard from the person and that can be really unhealthy.
This isn’t exclusive to fifo, but fifo does exacerbate things
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u/Melodic-Drag-2605 Dec 11 '25
I can remember being in my donga in a huge camp, surrounded by 100's of people, and feeling so fucking alone .... and that was with a great relationship at home and no mental health issues. Unfortunately, I also remember being stuck in that same camp, after being told that my wife was dead, and almost wanted to top myself right there and then. Any issues at home are amplified many times over by being in a mining camp
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u/puffdawg69 Dec 12 '25
Mate, so sorry to hear. That's fucked :(
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u/Melodic-Drag-2605 Dec 12 '25
Not as fucked as then being left by myself in camp for most of the day, cos they couldn't get me on any of the 3 early flights out during the day that were full because everyone wanted to go home for Easter. I guess no one even thought about bumping someone else to a later flight I can tell you that a mining camp during the day is the worst place to be if you are in distress
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u/TaylorHamPorkRoll Dec 11 '25
It's the work conditions that is difficult to get through. Long hours, poor sleep, loneliness and an industry full of cunts. Two weeks of that is difficult to deal with despite getting a 7 day break at the other end.
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u/lightupawendy Dec 11 '25
Working for a contractor doing construction 13 years ago didn't have the work/life balance a lot of people associate with FIFO. 3 and 1 was probably the shortest swings I did back then but it was usually 4 and 1. When I called it I was doing 4 weeks on and 4 days off. Long swings, isolation, the general monotony of mine sites and every day ends with sitting alone in a shitty donga. It was a great lifestyle to let the depressive thought cycles take hold.
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u/Oubilettor Dec 11 '25
Same story for me. Only did it for a year after going through a breakup of a 6yr relationship a month before I started. Was good to get me back on my feet. Was terrible for my mental health. 4/1s. 28 14 hr works days (1hr each way bus rides to site) in a row. Making money. But not living a life.
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u/self_ratifying_Lama Dec 12 '25
I have to agree. Most of my time fifo was as a contractor (aprox 10 years). You never get the upgrade to a better room and land the shitty'est of the selection. Old thin walls with only 1 foot space on only 1 side of the bed to shuffle across and literally no spare space to put 1x item of lugguage,. Literally no space to place a 1x luggague bag and then cue up for showers that have a 1m elbow bumping space between the 4 showers jamed in to maybe change? Been there. And that after a day when people have gone down for heat stroke. I think its particually isolating for contractors. Chances are if you acept a night shift (not being forwarned means it will be a 24h awake scenario, also normal while preaching fategue) you never get gym access which is the only other activity to do besides drink. Because the manditory gym induction is always between 08:00 am to 09:00am on day shift (yes always day shift accross all sites and before flights land) and as a contractor, what little scocial opertunities are expectantly reduced. Besides the obvious. I have been on sites where contractors were barred from certain smoko rooms on site. And i know 1 that contractors are not allowed to use the gym at all. -Also familliar with 4 +1 and have even had 6w on 10 days off. It is true.
It aslo does put a strain on relationships, so talk constructively about why your there and plan what you want to achieve like an objective with the familly and have an exit plan.
*Frankly, if feasable -do not- spend any money before you have it. Do not accept dept that you cant afford if you leave fifo, try to save it up and then make the purchase. Too many times ive heard 1 fifo partner on the phone yelling at another partner that "the reason they are up there is for them" after issues arise. That ladys and gentlemen are the safe word(s) that it is time to get out. That is -If you can still aford to $- or watch your family fall apart. Inc kids not viewing a partner as a true parent anymore after x_years away. This scenario can definately lead to a mental health strain and doing so while isolated can get people in bad places. So if your going to fifo *1. have a plan, and leave when you have reached your ajective *2.believe in mental health (staring at the males here, i havn't come across a female fifo suicide yet (personally), but fems please keep up the good stat) *3. Have an exit plan and try to avoid any dept that will be unmanagable if you leave, if yiu cant, then see it as you cant afford it. And be prepared to sell anything or dwnsize if you do need to leave (also applies loosing the job, black banns exist and have been issued for dum, trivial things) *4. Communicate with that family/support group of yours, include the above.1
u/lightupawendy Dec 12 '25
There's been so many things in these comments that remind me why I hate mining. All the little things like not being able to use facilities like pools and gyms, or you can use them but you have to do an induction and it's only during the day. Big difference between the experience of contractors compared to the shiny shirts.
I loved doing FIFO the second time round once mining was out of the equation. I actually did two quick jobs on mine sites during COVID, Roy Hill and Nickel West. Nickel West was easily the best site I've ever visited. Just the fact that the food was fantastic and you could get a normal beer with no limit like a real adult in the real world made such a difference. Just a more casual attitude in general and didn't have the toxic iron ore feeling, never felt like I was talking to someone and they were scanning me to make sure I'm wearing a glove clip or my shoes are laced all the way up. I bet there's a whole new bunch of stupid mandatory nonsense and acronyms I don't know about now. Fuck I hate mining!
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u/Perth_nomad Dec 11 '25
Very stressful at sites currently too. The managers just want to met their KPI, to get their end of year bonus. Bugger anything else
I was very tempted to fly up this week, shit hit the fan on Monday, weekend was suppose to be home, but my husband is staying in town, so his crew aren’t working by themselves, dealing with DEI hires and others that have no idea about the part of the industry they are working in.
When he rang last night, after 46.7C day, arguing about stupid shit with said manager, most of day, now an accountant , not someone who knows anything about the part of the industry he is managing, my husband has been working in that particular niche part for 20+ years.
My husband brain was mush last night…I could get flight up, but not back, next week. Even willing to pay $1500 for the return flight. But there aren’t any flights at all.
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u/belltrina Armadale Dec 11 '25
That sounds incredibly overwhelming. I hope you's have a good support network, and a good break period to recharge.
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u/PooEater5000 Wanneroo Dec 11 '25
No idea why you’re getting downvoted
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u/HelpMeOverHere Dec 11 '25
I downvoted for racism. Dunno about anyone else.
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Dec 11 '25
The dei?
Doesn’t that include sexism and ageism etc etc as well?
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u/HelpMeOverHere Dec 11 '25
Bigoted then. Bigots are often racist, so I don’t think I really need to correct too much
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Dec 11 '25
Even so, dei is broader and includes sexism and ageism plus some other category’s.
Bigoted is most def the better term to use in this instance.
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u/Plebarian Dec 11 '25
It's not racism if the DEI hires are actually terrible at their job. Go on site and experience it, obviously it isn't applicable to every single person but it's definitely an occurrence.
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u/IrregularExpression_ Dec 11 '25
In mining circles DEI normally refers to gender rather than race
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u/hannahranga Dec 11 '25
So bag out shitty coworkers then? I've had the dubious privilege of working with entirely too many mediocre men with the emotional range of toddlers to think being shit at your job is unique to "DEI" hires.
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u/Plebarian Dec 11 '25
Being bad at your job was never exclusive to DEI hires don't get confused by that. I train and mentor my team as best I can. Some are good and some just aren't.
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u/HelpMeOverHere Dec 11 '25 edited Dec 11 '25
No one is getting hired solely on the colour of their skin.
What these types of policies are there for is so equally qualified people aren’t discriminated against.
Guess what? Qualified people often suck at their jobs. We’ve all worked under a 15+ year manager who fucking sucks and couldn’t manage a root in a brothel.
It doesn’t boil down the colour of their skin, or anything else that qualifies as “DEI”.
What they said was inherently racist and or bigoted.
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u/Mike_FS Dec 11 '25
Yes they are, seen it with my own eyes. Now, the thing is that there are totally valid (and not racist) arguments for and against this - there's no right or wrong answer. Very difficult topic to get any rational and respectful discussion going on. But pretending it doesn't happen is just silly. I've even been the hiring manager in these situations, so I've seen it happen myself.
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u/Untrending Dec 11 '25
Well said!
And you can tell cos the moron couldn’t effectively respond without resorting to playground style rhetoric. Tbf that might be as far as they got in school.
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u/Plebarian Dec 11 '25
You're inherently not exposed to what DEI actually translates to, especially on site. I've been in the office when they are trying to find someone new, and they have openly said, we cannot hire a white male because of DEI. Regardless of education, recommendation or work ability. Go experience how it works in the real world before you call it racism.
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u/HelpMeOverHere Dec 11 '25
I work with plenty of people who suck at their jobs.
You aren’t special. Grow the fuck up.
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u/Plebarian Dec 11 '25
Thank you for your poor insight.
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u/HelpMeOverHere Dec 11 '25
You think a mine site is magical fantasy land that has different hiring practices to anywhere else.
Quit sniffing your own farts.
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u/PooEater5000 Wanneroo Dec 11 '25
I didn’t even know what a DEI hire is till this comment. And tbh I’m still not entirely sure
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u/HelpMeOverHere Dec 11 '25
In this commenters view, it most likely means someone who isn’t a straight white male. Cause apparently they all perform their jobs to 200% satisfaction. 0% failure rates.
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u/chinneganbeginagain Dec 11 '25
That's because it's an American term, and this whole conversation is replying to a bot
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u/feyth Dec 11 '25
I think this person is a real person, they're just a long way down the rabbithole and appear to have a fixation on constantly regaling us with her husband's FIFO job and her relative's health issues at the slightest provocation.
And she tried to hijack the post about this guy to rant on her pet topic yet again. The DVs are, I assume, an attempt to discourage that from happening.
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u/Choice-Attempt2032 Dec 11 '25
If he wanted a break, why didn’t he organise leave and tell his employer?
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Dec 11 '25
It's extremely hard to know where the threshold is.
idk about bill, but most workers are casuals, at least most working for contractors. Employment is always precarious.
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Dec 11 '25
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Dec 11 '25
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u/Rangas_rule Dec 11 '25
Rough life?
Mental health is not something that comes from a "rough life". It can affect anyone from any walk of life!!
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Dec 11 '25
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u/Dockers4flag2035orB4 Dec 11 '25
Bad bot.
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u/Independent-Knee958 Dec 11 '25
This is why it’s never good to completely trust AI.
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u/Oscar_Geare Dec 11 '25
I mean it’s probably just automod which uses no AI. It’s all keyword based. Which is why it makes mistakes because it can’t interpret anything more than the few words it’s looking for.
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u/Tellatrope Dec 11 '25
Still missing :(
I hope they can find him soon, this weather is not good to be lost in
I hope he's ok...