A NSW family have made the heartbreaking decision to turn off the life support off a man who was critically injured in an assault at a Wollongong pub.
Paul Andrews, 59, was allegedly attacked in an assault at Unanderra Hotel, a pub about 6km southwest of Wollongong, about 10.50pm on Friday, April 12.
He was taken to Wollongong Hospital, where he was placed on life support.
He remained in a coma until May 1, when Andrew’s family decided it was time to turn off his life support.
“The decision was made to turn off the life support and allow Dad to pass away peacefully surrounded by his family,” his son Brett Andrews said.
Brett told 7NEWS.com.au when the brutal attack first happened, the news took a long time to sink in.
“I got a call while I was at work and my mum let me know what was happening,” he said.
“I went through all those emotions … sad, angry, I think I even hung up on my mum at one point, I was so angry … it was a lot.”
Andrew’s family visited him everyday while he remained in the coma, with Brett driving his 90-year-old Nan to the hospital each day.
“The hospital was the hardest part of it because there were no answers,” he said.
“They said he’s in a coma, and we won’t know what damage has been done until he wakes up … but we don’t know if he is going to wake up.
“Even if he did wake up, we wouldn’t know the full extent of his injuries for months … it was really hard.”
Brett added, incredibly, the attack wasn’t the first time his family had been by his dad’s bedside in hospital.
“He works for himself and some years back he was welding an oil drum, and it actually exploded, and it burned him within 1 per cent of death,” he said.
“He’s not religious, but he told us this story that when he was in the chopper his pop came to him (in his mind) and said ‘it’s not your time to go … you need to go back and sort things out with your family.
“And my father said that he always wanted to have grandkids … and since the accident he got a grandkid.
“So, I kind of feel like we got eight more years than maybe we probably should have because these things don’t normally happen to people, especially not twice.”
Since his death, the community have continued to rally around the Andrews family, with fond memories of the mechanic shared to a GoFundMe page.
Brett said his father was someone who would always help out “no matter what”.
“He was the best dad, growing up it was just like anything we wanted to do we’d do it … go karting or water-skiing,” he said.
“He was always the first person to help if you needed it.
“He was just a really nice, genuine person.”
A police investigation was launched after the incident, with a 33-year-old man arrested.
He was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent and affray.
He was refused bail and his matter remains before the court.
