Nicola Baker was comforting her friend in Ravenshoe's main street after a freak explosion left her with burns to 80 per cent of her body.
Three days later, she's coming to grips with having to say goodbye.
Mother-of-two Nicole Nyholt, also known as Nicole Dempsey, passed away early Friday morning at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital's intensive care burns unit.
Just hours earlier her parents Vicki and Hans, who owned the Serves You Right Cafe where the explosion occurred on Tuesday, arrived at the hospital, after cutting short a European holiday to be at their daughter's side.
Ms Nyholt was managing the Ravenshoe cafe in their absence when an out-of-control utility ploughed into a large gas bottle at the back of the eatery, sparking the explosion and fire.
Her close friend, Ms Baker, says as soon as she heard the news, she rushed to the scene to find her.
"I found her and I was with her for a good period," she told AAP.
"The townspeople were all there doing the things that needed to be done."
Ms Baker said news of her lifelong friend's death has left her heartbroken.
"You can't explain this kind of grief to someone who hasn't been through something like this," she said through tears.
Her grief has been echoed throughout the tight-knit far north Queensland community.
"The community are waking up to the news that one of their own is not here any more," Ms Baker said on Friday morning.
"However, as a community we'll just have to deal with that."
She said Ms Nyholt would be remembered as a funny, kind and generous woman who was loved by everyone she met.
"She was a beautiful mother and a beautiful wife," she said.
A minute's silence was held at a community meeting in Ravenshoe on Friday in honour of Ms Nyholt.
Tablelands Mayor Rosa Lee Long said some 200 people packed the local hall and all were struggling to comprehend the tragedy.
"They are still in shock and bewilderment and asking questions, just why and how (this happened)," she said.
Acting Premier Jackie Trad said her thoughts were with Ms Nyholt's family and the other 19 victims who remained in hospitals across the state.
"This was a young woman doing her job and it's just a tragic freak accident," Ms Trad said.
"For all of those people throughout Queensland hospitals - our prayers and thoughts are with all of them."
Seven patients were on Friday afternoon in a critical condition.
Police said they were still investigating whether the driver, a 60-year-old Ravenshoe man, was suffering from a medical condition when he crashed.
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