Boating collision on Sydney Harbour

On Thursday 1 May 2008 at approximately 2.30am, paramedics responded to a tragic boating incident on Sydney Harbour near Bradley’s Head, approximately 200 metres from Taronga Park Zoo.

On the paramedics arrival, they were confronted with a challenging scene – multiple patients and the logistical recovery of patients from the scene in a dark environment.

The Ambulance Service had 10 paramedic crews on scene. The Ambulance helicopter winched a doctor and intensive care paramedic down to a wharf to assist the ground crews with a critically injured patients.

After assessing the scene, paramedics confirmed five fatalities with another nine patients transported to Royal North Shore Hospital with conditions ranging from critical head injury, spinal and minor injuries, including abrasions, bruising and lacerations.

Further information:
Another person passed away overnight from injuries he had received. This brings the total deceased to six.

Photographs courtesy Matt Black Productions

Ambulance is committed to assisting the community create safer and healthier environments and outcomes by making prevention everyone’s businesses. A number of innovative community education programs have been implemented to assist identify life threatening conditions, understand what to do in an emergency and the importance of adopting illness prevention strategies.