His sister Kym now wants to speak to young people in the Peel region about the impact of suicide, and encourage them to talk about their feelings and to take an interest in how others are coping.
‘Ben was really smart and had so much potential,’ she said. ‘It was tragic and I don’t want his death to be in vain.
‘I do not think suicide is talked about enough.
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Ms Woolcott said Ben was happy growing up and got a scholarship to attend Mandurah Catholic College.
‘He had loads of friends,’ she said.
‘He had been studying mechanical engineering at Curtin University.
‘A few days after he passed away, we found out he got into the defence force.’
Ms Woolcott said they were living in Greenfields in 2010, when her parents split up. Ben was 20 years old at the time.
‘It had a significant impact on him,’ she said.
Ms Woolcott said there were no warning signs that Ben was struggling.
‘None of us had any idea,’ she said.
‘Obviously he had bad days, just like everyone else.’
About 18 months ago, Ben took his own life.
His death affected his family members differently.
Ms Woolcott has become a strong proponent of suicide awareness programs R U OK Day and Free Love Day: Draw a Heart on Your Wrist, Love, and Change the World.
‘All it takes is one person to show an interest,’ she said. ‘If you are feeling down, talk to someone.’
– If you need help, call the Mental Health Emergency Response Line (MERL) Peel on 1800 676 822 or Lifeline on 13 11 14, 24 hours a day.