Horrified guests desperately tried to save a British police constable after he fell and cut his neck in a fatal accident during his engagement party in Australia.
Liam Trimmer’s colleagues have paid tribute to him as an ‘extraordinary officer’ and urged the community to support one another in the wake of his shocking death.
Western Australia Police Commissioner Col Blanch said others at the party did everything possible to try to save him after his carotid artery was cut, but were not able to stem the blood flow. He died before emergency services could arrive.
‘Everything was done to try and save him, but it wasn’t to be and I know everyone that was involved is really, really hurting at the moment… I think they wish they could just wake up from this nightmare,’ Mr Blanch told 9 News Perth.
He went on to say that the community had rallied around Mr Trimmer’s family and the force, who are now mourning his tragic death.
The WA police force is mourning the loss of 29-year-old officer Liam Trimmer (pictured), who has been remembered as an ‘extraordinary officer’
Mr Trimmer and his fiancée (picture) had gathered with friends and family to announce their engagement
‘This extraordinary officer loved helping the community and was a fine example of WA policing and it’s just such a tragedy,’ Mr Blanch continued.
‘(He was) a very, very confident, capable young man with his whole life ahead of him, and that’s how sad this is.’
He concluded: ‘It’s important now for us to wrap around each other, to lean on each other.
‘Can I thank the community and those involved — first responders and the broader parts of the community — for really offering their support to the family and fellow officers.’
The 29-year-old and his fiancée had organised a small party on Sunday at a property in Western Australia to announce their engagement to friends and family.
But in a freak accident during the celebrations, Mr Trimmer slipped and fell, cutting an artery in his neck and causing massive bleeding.
It has not yet been made clear exactly how the police officer suffered the fatal neck wound, or where the tragic incident took place, but the case is now subject to a coronial inquest.
Mr Trimmer had moved from the UK to start a new life in Australia as a teenager in 2013 before appearing on the BBC programme Wanted Down Under.
He graduated from Australia’s Joondalup Police Academy before moving to the city of Kalgoorlie, some 370 miles east of Perth, in 2017.
There he established himself as a prominent member of the local community, playing for the local rugby team and joining the police force’s tactical response group, where he developed a record as an exemplary policeman.
Mr Trimmer featured in the UK TV series Wanted Down Under, giving a teenager advice on life in Australia before they migrated
Mr Trimmer, who moved to WA from the UK when he was still a teenager in 2013, graduated from Australia’s Joondalup Police Academy before moving to the city of Kalgoorlie, some 370 miles east of Perth, in 2017 (West Australian Police van is pictured)
The WA Police Union said Mr Trimmer was a ‘valued member of the blue family’.
‘Every time a death occurs for a police officer, it doesn’t matter how, it really does rock the core of the police family,’ Union President Paul Gale told local media.
WA’s Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti also gave remarks on the incident, describing Mr Trimmer’s death as an ‘awful, awful tragedy’.
‘As I understand it, this police officer came over from the UK to start a new life in WA,’ she said.
‘My condolences go out to the family and friends of that particular officer.’
A coroner is now performing a post-mortem examination of Mr Trimmer’s body and a statement regarding his death is expected in the coming days.
A police spokesperson told The West Australian: ‘Our thoughts and deepest condolences are extended to his family and colleagues.
‘Our health, welfare and safety division will provide support to those impacted by this tragedy.’
MailOnline has contacted the FCDO for comment.
