Paramedic Michael Wilson died trying to save an injured canyoner west of Wollongong after a serious communications breakdown between rescue agencies, a NSW coroner says.
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The coroner’s court in Glebe was packed with relatives and uniformed paramedics on Tuesday as Deputy State Coroner Carmel Forbes delivered her findings about Mr Wilson’s death on Christmas Eve 2011, in national parkland west of Wollongong.
Ms Forbes described him as an experienced member of the Special Casualty Access Team, which took part in the delicate operation at Bridal Veil Falls three years ago.
She said Mr Wilson went over a ledge while attending to his patient and swung 30 metres ‘‘like a pendulum’’ before coming to rest, fatally injured, on a boulder.
‘‘The breakdown of effective communications on the night and the lack of effective co-ordination and mission command or control were not limited to an inter-agency problem,’’ the coroner wrote in her findings.
‘‘Despite everyone’s best and in some cases heroic efforts, such as those of (fellow paramedics Tim) Thistleton and (David) Zids, who abseiled down the waterfall in the dark, Mr Wilson died in situ as a consequence of extensive blunt trauma injuries.’’
Among Ms Forbes’s recommendations were that a helicopter winch simulator and the introduction of mission simulations be completed as soon as possible.
The coroner said Mr Thistleton was able to reach Mr Wilson and comfort him before he died.
A short time after midnight, other rescuers were able to descend to the base of the gorge, where they stayed until daybreak on Christmas Day 2011.
The 42-year-old’s widow, Kellie, appeared to fight back tears as she paid tribute to her ‘‘beloved’’ husband outside the court.
‘‘We lost an extraordinary soul the day that Michael died and we miss him desperately,’’ Mrs Wilson said.
‘‘Michael was compassionate, courageous and highly skilled, and we are so enormously proud of him and always will be.
‘‘We hope that this inquest will result in the uptake of recommendations to ensure that a similar tragedy will never be repeated.’’
She said the family would take some time to absorb the findings and recommendations.
Ms Forbes recommended that training in relation to changes in NSW ambulance helicopter procedures be rolled out to all paramedics, aircrew, medical crew and pilots. AAP