When the Bennett family set out last Saturday on polling day to vote in the Queensland elections, the last thing they expected was for tragedy to strike.
Crossing through a park located five minutes from their home, a freak storm left Kane Bennett, along with his wife, Mary Mourgelas, and their two young children, Max, 22-months-old and 12-week-old Bella, with no other option but to take shelter under a nearby gazebo.

In the moments that followed, a lightning bolt hit the structure and in an attempt to shield his family from the strong forces of Mother Nature, Kane Bennet put himself in harms way.

With each of them suffering injuries from the incident, the family were soon rushed to the Gold Coast University Hospital.

Despite the tireless efforts of paramedics, the injuries Mr Bennett sustained from the strike led to his passing just three hours later.

“The family is doing as well as can be expected,” Mr Bennett’s sister-in-law Gina Mourgelas told Neos Kosmos.

“They were let out of hospital on Monday. They were all hit by lightning, but there’s been no permanent damage. Everything seems fine.”

A 39-year-old military man, Mr Bennett and Ms Mourgelas met in 1996, while he was serving in the Australian Defence Force.

Remembered as a devoted husband and father, Kane and his wife celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary just weeks before his passing.

“Kane was a great man. He was quietly spoken and gentle, with a heart of gold. He had contributed so much to the community. His greatest source of pride, however, was his family,” Steph Julian, a close friend of the couple, told Neos Kosmos.

“When Kane was with Mary and his kids, he was at his happiest. His pride and love for his family was clear to see.”

During his 10 years serving with the Australian Defence Force, Mr Bennett had postings in Townsville, Canberra and abroad in East Timor.

There he took part in the Peace Keeping Mission, INTERFET (International Force for East Timor) and UNTAET (United Nations Transitional Administration for East Timor).

Aside from his work in the military, Mr Bennett was also passionate about motivating young people and building their confidence.

This saw him working for the Get Set For Work Program on the Gold Coast for at risk youth, in addition to training students to gain qualifications in disability support and community service at Charlton Brown in Brisbane.

In the face of this awful tragedy, the family have experienced an outpouring of kind words and support from the wider Australian community.

“Mary is very, very thankful and heartened by the community support she has received since the accident happened. She has seen many of the messages of condolence and she can’t believe how kind people have been,” said Ms Julian.

A campaign has been set up by friends of the family to help raise funds to assist with ongoing support of Ms Mourgelas and her children.

With the fundraising target set at $10,000, they have been overwhelmed by people’s generosity, with the total currently standing at $57,200.

“It’s mainly people who we don’t know, donating $10 or $20,” said Gina Mourgelas. “It’s amazing.”

A funeral is to be held on Monday 9 February in loving memory of Kane Bennett.

Anyone interested in donating money, visit www.mycause.com.au/page/87580/inmemoryofkanebennett or funds can be donated directly to: Mary Mourgelas, Nerang BC, PO Box 2962, NERANG DC QLD, 4211.