Media Release

19 April 2009

Following the horrific explosion on a boat off the northern coast of Australia Thursday night, St John Ambulance NT Paramedic staff and Volunteers have come together to transport those injured to the Darwin Hospital over the last three days.

Mick McKay, Operations Manager Northern for St John Ambulance NT has been coordinating the St John Ambulance effort and said “Our ability to respond quickly and with the appropriate skill and resources has only been made possible with the help of our Volunteers.”

A total of 29 patients were treated, triaged and transported by a team made up of St John Ambulance NT Volunteers and Paramedics between Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon. 21 of these patients were transported directly to Darwin Hospital, suffering severe to minor burns, with the remaining 8 patients transported to aircraft for transfer to Brisbane for further treatment.

“The St John Ambulance NT Paramedic team is grateful for the assistance and dedication provided by our Volunteers over the past few days and we extend our thanks to them for their exceptional efforts.” said Mr McKay.

Media Contact:  Cheryl Martin   0408 809 368 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .