The 25-year-old worker killed in a horrific crash at a remote mine in South Australia was preparing to fly to Fiji and propose to his high school sweetheart – who made the heart-wrenching find of the ring he’d bought for the occasion.
Nathan Scholz was declared dead at the scene where it was reported he was a pedestrian when hit by a vehicle at BHP’s giant copper mine at Olympic Dam, 550km north-west of Adelaide, at around 5.30am on Tuesday.
Mr Scholz was preparing to fly to Fiji next week with his partner Bianca Sonntag, where he had planned to ask her to marry him.
On Tuesday night, Ms Sonntag and her parents, Angela and Jeff Sonntag, searched for the ring Mr Scholz had hidden for the surprise Fiji proposal and found it
Last week he took the ‘best bottle of wine’ he could buy to Ms Sonntag’s parents, who live in the town of Greenock in South Australia’s Barossa Valley, north-east of Adelaide.
‘In a week’s time, we were off to Fiji … he (had) the most romantic evening planned to propose,’ Ms Sonntag told the Adelaide Advertiser.
Bianca Sonntag (pictured left) poses with Nathan Scholz, who tragically lost his life in an accident at South Australia’s Olympic Dam
‘Not only was he my partner, he was my best friend,’ the 25-year-old said of her partner for 11 years.
‘He had a heart of gold and the greatest sense of humour.
‘He was loved by his beautiful family. He will be forever in our hearts.’
Read Related Also: Newtown pub Buddy’s Bar sparks a bitter war of words in Sydney
Mr Scholz and Ms Sonntag attended Nuriootpa High School, which is also in the Barossa Valley.
‘He was one of the smartest kids in our year … always blitzing his grades and getting school awards,’ Ms Sonntag said.
Ms Sontag said her parents ‘loved him as (their) own son’. Mr Scholz also had a sister, Madison, with parents Sharon and Kevin.
Mr Scholz began work for BHP contractor Murray Engineering in July, 2021 as a diesel service technician and was working as a truck driver at Olympic Dam.
Police officers attended the scene of the accident within the mine’s borders.
They and SafeWork SA are investigating.
Ms Sonntag (pictured right) met Mr Scholz (pictured left) at Nuriootpa High School in South Australia’s Barossa Valley
A BHP spokesperson earlier could not provide any further details on Mr Scholz’s cause of death.
‘We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of our workforce died this morning at our Olympic Dam site,’ they said.
‘Our thoughts are with the person’s family, friends and colleagues and we are offering all the support we can during this difficult time.’
