community, bushwalk, child, macquarie pass, boy, rescue, ses kiama, wollongong, lake illawarra
Paramedics have praised the help of multiple resources to save a seven-year-old boy who broke his neck and fractured his skull at the Macquarie Pass National Park. Police said the child was with his mother, two siblings and a friend, walking along the steep Jump Rock bush trail - about 10 kilometres west of Albion Park - on Sunday afternoon. The boy slipped and fell about 20 metres, landing on his head at the base of a cliff which fractured his C1 (atlas) vertebra, paramedics said. He also suffered a fractured arm and bleeding on the brain, but was lucky not to "compromise" his spinal function. Read more: Push to waive fees for Wollongong bars and eateries struggling to keep the lights on NSW Ambulance Illawarra Chief Inspector Terry Morrow said the type of neck fracture the boy had could lead to death or quadriplegia, so it was a delicate operation. "Thank God for the helicopter coming over the top and making access," Inspector Morrow told the Mercury. "It was a difficult extraction from the scene and treatment of the patient whilst in that environment. "You're in a creek bed with jagged rocks, you've go to do some serious medical procedures on a young child that you normally don't do in a bushland setting." Read more: Wollongong theatres, cinemas to increase capacity by 50 per cent It took paramedics about 25 minutes to walk through "very challenging" terrain to find the patient, while a Toll helicopter from Albion Park winched in a doctor and intensive care paramedic to the creek bed to begin treatment. Inspector Morrow said crews then had to carry the unconscious boy on foot to a safer area, so the ambulance helicopter could eventually winch him out without hitting fallen trees or other debris. The critically injured child was then airlifted to the Royal Children's Hospital in Randwick. Read more: During the pandemic, grassroots hobbies are gaining popularity in the Illawarra Officers from Lake Illawarra and Southern Region Police Rescue worked with paramedics, Fire and Rescue NSW, and SES and RFS volunteers at the scene. Mandy Liu was bushwalking with her partner at the time of the accident and witnessed the aftermath. She didn't have a first-aid kit handy, but was thankful for some "brave" walkers who did and rendered assistance until paramedics arrived. "The area where accident happened was very steep and there was lots of exposed roots of trees and it was very narrow," she said. "If you're not an experienced bushwalker you can trip easily." Read more: Illawarra musicians honoured in new compilation album of rare tracks Jenae Johnstone from Bushwalk the Gong said the popular walking track is not on the National Parks and Wildlife management plan and has difficult and sometimes dangerous terrain. "You have to have a degree of navigation involved, and the track in has a lot of slippage," Mrs Johnston said. "People have put ropes in place to assist to getting across, but ... there's a lot of huge boulders in that area, there's sheer cliff faces." We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.
FILE PHOTO: Some of the terrain on the Jump Rock walking trails at the Macquarie Pass National Park, west of Albion Park. Picture: Bushwalk The Gong
Paramedics have praised the help of multiple resources to save a seven-year-old boy who broke his neck and fractured his skull at the Macquarie Pass National Park.
Police said the child was with his mother, two siblings and a friend, walking along the steep Jump Rock bush trail - about 10 kilometres west of Albion Park - on Sunday afternoon.
NSW Ambulance Illawarra Chief Inspector Terry Morrow said the type of neck fracture the boy had could lead to death or quadriplegia, so it was a delicate operation.
"Thank God for the helicopter coming over the top and making access," Inspector Morrow told the Mercury.
"It was a difficult extraction from the scene and treatment of the patient whilst in that environment.
"You're in a creek bed with jagged rocks, you've go to do some serious medical procedures on a young child that you normally don't do in a bushland setting."
Emergency services setup a base of the Macquarie Pass Jump Rock walking trail on Sunday. It took paramedics 25 minutes to reach the patient on foot. Picture: Mandy Liu
It took paramedics about 25 minutes to walk through "very challenging" terrain to find the patient, while a Toll helicopter from Albion Park winched in a doctor and intensive care paramedic to the creek bed to begin treatment.
Inspector Morrow said crews then had to carry the unconscious boy on foot to a safer area, so the ambulance helicopter could eventually winch him out without hitting fallen trees or other debris.
The critically injured child was then airlifted to the Royal Children's Hospital in Randwick.
FILE PHOTO: Some of the terrain on the Jump Rock walking trails at the Macquarie Pass National Park, west of Albion Park. Picture: Bushwalk The Gong
Jenae Johnstone from Bushwalk the Gong said the popular walking track is not on the National Parks and Wildlife management plan and has difficult and sometimes dangerous terrain.
"You have to have a degree of navigation involved, and the track in has a lot of slippage," Mrs Johnston said.
"People have put ropes in place to assist to getting across, but ... there's a lot of huge boulders in that area, there's sheer cliff faces."
We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.
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