Midwest paramedics to receive off-road ambulance van in October
Geraldton will get the Midwest's first off-road ambulance in October. A teen's motorcycle crash sparked a year of advocacy for this change.
James Hipper was 17 when he broke his neck and spine in a motorcycle crash. It happened at Geraldton sand dunes last year, in an area standard ambulances could not reach.
Serenity Thorley was 22 and James's sister. She and other bystanders used a swag to lift him onto a ute.
They drove him to meet paramedics. James became paraplegic, but the improvised rescue did not make his injury worse.
The Hipper family campaigned for an off-road ambulance ever since. St John WA will send a Toyota HiAce off-road ambulance to Geraldton in October.
It is the first such vehicle in the Midwest. Seven operate elsewhere in regional WA.
The coastal city's shire president welcomed the news. He said active residents go into areas unreachable by standard ambulances.
A recent shark attack victim also had to be driven to paramedics by the public.
- 17
- James's age at crash
- 22
- Serenity's age
- 420 kilometres
- Geraldton distance from Perth
- 7
- Off-road ambulances in regional WA
Why it mattersOff-road accidents in remote areas now have a real chance of quick paramedic response. Before, injured people had to be driven by bystanders to meet ambulances.
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