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Two men die after Perth tornado cuts power to homes Two men die after Perth tornado cuts power to life-support equipment
(about 3 hours later)
Two 25-year-old men who relied on electronic medical equipment died when a tornado hit suburbs in Perth, cutting power to thousands of homes. Two young Perth men with muscular dystrophy died after they were unable to breathe or alert their carer when the machine that kept them alive stopped working during a tornado.
Western Australia Police said the Beaconsfield men were found dead about 7.30am on Monday. Both had pre-existing conditions that required medical assistance. The medical equipment that the two 25-year-olds depended on did not have back-up electricity after the tornado downed power lines, a grieving friend said.
Police said they would investigate the deaths, which were not being treated as suspicious, and prepare a report for the coroner. Housemates Kyle Scolari and Conor Murphy died in their Beaconsfield residence on Monday morning as the freak storm, packing wind speeds well exceeding 125km/h, hit nearby Hilton and O'Connor.
Inquiries will relate to the electronic medical equipment. Their coach and close friend Hayden Stevens said the men had some independence, playing sport and taking part in social activities, but when they slept, they were dependent on a machine that helped them breathe as they lay flat in bed.
The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed the wild weather that hit Hilton, O'Connor and Claremont early on Monday was a tornado. "Unfortunately when the power goes out, the machine doesn't have the back-up supply and your bed doesn't work so they couldn't get their beds up so they were stuck flat," Stevens told Fairfax radio on Tuesday.
As well as downing power lines, it tore roofs off homes, smashed trees and sent a dinghy flying into the front yard of a house. "Their beeper turned off and unfortunately, they couldn't rouse the carer.
A bureau spokeswoman said a wind engineer had inspected damage in Hilton and concluded the tornado that hit the suburb had wind speeds far exceeding 125kmh. "It was completely out of the blue to wake up and hear that a storm had ... taken them from us."
Stevens, who also has muscular dystrophy, said the condition was tough to live with.
"It takes all your muscle movement so you're pretty much confined to your electric wheelchair. You can't lift your arms up. You really can't do anything for yourself, so the carer is pretty much what's keeping you alive."
He said Scolari and Murphy's soccer teammates, who recently competed with them in a national competition, were in shock.
West Australian police are investigating the deaths, which are not being treated as suspicious, and will prepare a report for the coroner.