December 05 2022
By: Shawn M. Galloway
Goodbye, old friend.
My wife and I joined my close and long-time friend, Kevin Henderson, and his fiancée in Bali, Indonesia to celebrate his 51st birthday. It quickly became easy to see why this island is a desired tourist destination.
The first few days, we explored waterfalls and temples, and experienced about a hundred near misses as we were driven across the island and enjoyed the local cuisine. We laughed and reminisced. Thursday, 17 November 2022, was Kevin's birthday, and one of the last things he wanted to accomplish during the trip was to make a sunrise trek up 
Mount Agung, an active volcano and one of the most challenging climbs in the world. The climb begins around 10pm. The summit is reached around 4am, where you prepare for the majestic sunrise. Afterward, you descend, and the trek is over around noon.
Kevin summitted Mount Agung. During the descent, high above the clouds around 1,000 feet below the summit, at 7:30am in a beautiful location, one of the holiest spots in Bali, my dear friend had an accident. He passed away, chasing his dreams below the peak of the mountain he had just conquered.
Despite our best efforts, tragedies occur more often off the job than on the job. Make sure your family, friends and coworkers know how much you value your relationships with them. I appreciate you and the time you dedicate to improving safety on and off the job more than you will ever know. Thank you.
Rest in peace, Kevin.
Shawn Galloway, CEO of ProAct Safety, is an expert in safety excellence. With almost thirty years of experience, he is a highly sought-after advisor, keynote speaker, and expert witness. Shawn has become a trusted partner to leading organizations across various industries worldwide. He ranks in the top 1% of the most prolific writers in his field, having authored over 500 articles and several bestselling books. He also launched the world's first safety podcast, Safety Culture Excellence©. As a recognized authority in safety, Shawn has received awards such as being named among the Top 50 People Who Most Influence EHS and a Top 10 Speaker, among others.
He is a regular guest on Bloomberg, Fox News, The Daily Mail, Dubai One, U.S. News & World Report, Sirius Business Radio, Wharton Business Daily, and leading safety magazines and podcasts. Shawn also serves as a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, Forbes Business Council, and Fast Company Executive Board, enabling his influence to shape safety thinking and strategy at the executive level.
