Quad bike family tell of danger

NORTH Queensland parents have shared the harrowing story of their son’s near- fatal quad bike crash to raise awareness about the dangers of riding.

Atherton locals Jodie and Mario Coccos almost lost their then sevenyear- old son, Domenic, after he crashed a quad bike belonging to a family friend in 2015.

Ms Coccos said Domenic was thrown from the bike after colliding with a power pole, with no helmet on.

“I didn’t know if Domenic was alive when I raced over to him straight after the crash,” she said.

“He was taken to Townsville Hospital and placed in an induced coma for four days and in hospital for five weeks.”

Domenic made a full recovery but Ms Coccos said the family now wanted to help other parents to “avoid the horror” of not knowing if their child was dead or alive.

“The best way to do that is to always wear a helmet, never let kids ride adult- sized quad bikes, and get some training before hopping on.”

Mr Coccos said they thankfully had a good outcome with Domenic but other families were not so lucky.

“We want to ensure this doesn’t happen to anyone else,” he said.

The Coccos family has joined Workplace Health and Safety Queensland’s team of safety advocates.

Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace said the “nightmare event” had made Domenic’s family passionate about quad bike safety, which was perfect for the government’s Ride Ready cause.

“Fortunately, Dom has made a full recovery and now mum and dad are keen to spread vital quad bike safety messages to as many Queenslanders as possible,” she said.