Tomorrow Isn't Promised

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.