Yalgoo fatal: Mid West volunteers say Geraldton-based rescue helicopter would cut emergency response times

Volunteers and community leaders are reiterating calls for an emergency rescue helicopter to be based in Geraldton after two Mid West women and a baby boy died in a rollover in a remote area of the region. Fog prevented a Royal Flying Doctor Service plane from landing near the crash site, doubling the distance the ambulance needed to travel. Yalgoo shire CEO Ian Holland was one of the first to respond to the horror outback crash which killed Gabrielle Brockman, 21, her aunty Marrika Brockman, 33, and Marrika’s five-week-old son Levi Ashwin after the ute they were in rolled on Geraldton-Mt Magnet Road about 11pm on Saturday, August 10. Mr Holland, who volunteers for both Department of Fire and Emergency Services and St John WA, said the lack of a dedicated rescue helicopter in Geraldton left casualties waiting hours for medical evacuation. “A situation like this, instead of relying on ambulances driving hundreds of kilometres, a rescue helicopter could have been there in half an hour,” he said. The tragic crash occurred about 40km from the remote town of Yalgoo. It was volunteers and truck drivers who responded to the incident. Marrika was carrying her baby on her lap in the back seat, alongside her partner Dwayne Ashwin, 43, Gabrielle, Gabrielle’s partner Jeffery Indich, 22, and a 22-year-old friend. Gabrielle and baby Levi both died at the scene, while the others were taken to Geraldton and Mount Magnet by ambulance before they could be flown to Perth via Royal Flying Doctor Service. Marrika died in hospital, while Jeffery remains in a critical condition. Mr Holland said the RFDS fixed wing fleet could not operate as flexibly as a rescue helicopter. “On this night a plane with experienced medical staff was unable to land due to fog, turning a 100km ambulance trip into a 200km trip,” he said. “If this was within 200km of Jandakot, a helicopter would have had the potential to land hours earlier directly at the scene.” Mr Holland is not the only Mid West leader who is calling for a rescue helicopter in the region. Mount Magnet shire president Jim McGorman has been a volunteer for 25 years and said a chopper based in Geraldton “would have made a massive difference” that night. “They had to come back to Mount Magnet to get the Flying Doctor out, that’s insane. They’re in the vehicle waiting two hours for someone to turn up, and then two hours to get to somewhere to catch a plane to take a 40 minute flight to Perth,” he said. “Waiting five hours in a critical position is pretty well a life and death situation.” Mr McGorman said both residents and visitors to the Mid West and Gascoyne deserved the same access to emergency services as in metropolitan areas. “Our region is not full of people from here, there is people from all over Australia and around the world. The roads around here have more people on them than we do in our towns and the traffic is growing all the time,” he said. “We have incidents like (in Yalgoo) where there’s multiple casualties, the resources we have here really can’t cover it.” In a grievance motion on Thursday, North West Central MLA Merome Beard told Parliament there was an urgent need for a dedicated rescue helicopter as roads deteriorated and traffic increased. “In the event of an accident, poor road conditions can delay the arrival of emergency services, potentially costing lives,” she said. “A rescue helicopter would drastically reduce response times, ensuring that those in need received critical care within that vital window of time.” The Nationals WA have pledged $45 million to bring a rescue helicopter to Geraldton if they win the 2025 State election, but Opposition Leader Shane Love said families should not have to wait. “Without a proper post in Geraldton, you’re waiting for long periods of time for help to arrive,” he said. “There are many circumstances and many instances in the Mid West where the chopper would improve the outcomes for people and save lives.” Nationals Geraldton candidate Kirrilee Warr said the need for a rescue chopper was clear cut. “Whether it’s for sea rescues, operations in Kalbarri National Park, quick retrieval from the Abrolhos Islands, or emergency responses on our roads, a helicopter based in Geraldton would drastically reduce response times,” she said. Liberal candidate for Geraldton Tim Milnes said the Liberal Party welcomed the idea of a locally-based rescue chopper. “Part of what we’re hoping to do if we form government is to bring back Royalties for Regions in a way that was intended to support projects like that,” he said. “So sadly, that’s been eroded away and we’ve seen more and more money spent in the metro areas while we’re lacking essential services like that.” Geraldton MLA Lara Dalton said she has heard from the community and will continue to advocate for expanded services across the region. “Like the rest of the Mid West community, I’m deeply saddened by the rollover in Yalgoo over the weekend, and my thoughts are with the families and the community,” she said. “Our Government has invested nearly $27 million to significantly upgrade and strengthen WA’s aerial emergency services,” she said. “The State Government conducted service reviews in 2017 and 2019, and continues to assess community needs to ensure our aerial emergency services remain responsive and effective. “It is important to highlight that the RFDS does an incredible job servicing our region, as do our frontline emergency services personnel.”