“BILL WAS ONCE SO HAPPY. BUT SINCE HE BECAME A FIFO WORKER THINGS AREN’T THE SAME ANYMORE…” — the heartbroken words of Jenny O’Byrne, mother of Perth FIFO worker William “Bill” Carter, as she breaks her silence following police confirmation of his passing on December 15, 2025. The 49-year-old Bunbury nurse, voice cracking with grief, revealed her son’s final moments before he was last seen near Trigg Beach, painting a portrait of a young man whose vibrant spirit dimmed under the weight of fly-in fly-out life. Bill, 25, vanished after being dropped at Perth Airport on December 6 for a routine shift to Karratha, his death ruled a suicide amid mental health struggles exacerbated by the demanding roster.

Jenny’s interview with 7News on December 16 laid bare the family’s pain: “Bill was once so happy—full of life, always smiling with his mates. But FIFO changed him. The isolation, the long weeks away—it wore him down.” Bill, a slim-built local with brown hair and blue eyes, had recently stopped anxiety medication after a difficult trip to Zambia visiting his estranged father. “He was quieter, distant—I thought it was just tiredness,” Jenny wept. “His last brunch words—’Sometimes you just need to disappear’—haunt me now.”

The timeline is devastating: dropped at Terminal 3 at 12:40 p.m., Bill texted girlfriend Janae “love you” at 1:02 p.m., pinged at 1:05 p.m., then hailed a taxi to Trigg Beach—arriving 2:10 p.m. Witnesses saw him “sad, waiting for someone” at 2:40 p.m. before walking toward the water. His backpack, found December 10 with a note (“I need to disappear—sorry”), confirmed intent. Body recovered December 15 in bushland 40 km southeast.

FIFO’s toll is stark: 10 suicides in WA mines since 2020 (Black Dog Institute). Bill’s mates raised $100,000 for mental health. Janae: “He promised forever—now silence.”

Jenny pleads: “Talk to someone—don’t disappear.” As Christmas nears, Bill’s light fades, but his story demands change.