Miscommunication Blamed for Aussie Medic's Death

May 17, 2013
The chopper crew believed the medic had given a hand signal that he was ready.

A report into the death of a paramedic after he tried to rescue an injured canyoner from a rock ledge has found there were issues with several safety measures in the NSW Ambulance Service.

Michael Wilson died on Christmas Eve in 2011 after falling from a rope suspended from a helicopter while trying to rescue a man off a cliff at Carrington Falls near Wollongong on the state's south coast.

The report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) found the helicopter started winching the pair up before they had secured a rope to stop them swinging, and they fell to the base of the cliff.

Mr Wilson later died of his injuries.

It was the first time in more than 30 years a NSW paramedic had died while on duty.

ATSB chief commissioner Martin Dolan says the crew thought Mr Wilson had given a hand signal saying he was ready.

"On our analysis of the evidence that securing rope was not done, so there was clearly a miscommunication at that point," Mr Dolan said.

He says low light, poor visibility and a lack of radio communication also were major factors.

"This is a tragic accident - and it is an accident - and we stress that the pulling off of the ledge was an accidental consequence in a situation where there was low light conditions," Mr Dolan said.

"So visibility was difficult, there were problems with radio communication and because it was a complex rescue it was always going to be a more complicated thing to carry off safely."

The ATSB says the NSW Ambulance Service has since taken a number of measures to improve the safety of its operations, including better training and revised procedures.

Ray Creen, from the ambulance service, says the ATSB report was not about blaming anyone for Mr Wilson's death, but important lessons have been learnt.

"We've increased training and education across aero-medical operations including geographical familiarisation and integrated training between the operator and NSW Ambulance," he said.

The service says its death and disability scheme provides significant benefits for the families of special rescue paramedics in the event of a death.

The Health Services Union is calling for extra cover for special rescue paramedics such as Mr Wilson, who sometimes have to execute dangerous rescues from a helicopter.

It says many are unable to obtain extra private insurance because of the dangers of the job, leaving their families struggling if they are seriously injured or die.

Copyright 2013 Australian Broadcasting CorporationAll Rights Reserved

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