WA man in stable condition after four-wheeldrive plunges off cliff, killing other two passengers
A man is in a stable condition after the four-wheel-drive he was travelling in plunged over a cliff on a remote property in Western Australia, killing the two other passengers.
Two men, both aged 22, died at the scene in the early hours of Sunday morning near Horrocks beach, about 500km north of Perth.
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The Nissan Patrol was being driven on a private property about 10km north of the small town when it plunged off a cliff and crashed 20 to 30 metres below, Western Australian police said.
The surviving injured man, aged 21, is understood to have climbed the cliff after the accident and was found wandering on a road.
Police and emergency services were called to the scene about 3.45am and the man was taken to Geraldton Health Campus before being flown to Royal Perth hospital on Sunday night.
He remains in a stable condition in the state trauma unit, the WA health department said on Monday.
The three men were believed to be part of a group of six Geraldton residents who were camping nearby at Little Bay, the West Australian reported.
The three men reportedly left the campsite in the middle of the night to go four-wheel driving.
Reg Reynolds, the owner of the Horrocks Beachside Cottages and the caretaker for Little Bay Campgrounds, told the ABC it was particularly difficult to navigate tracks in darkness.
“There’s only two tracks that go down through private property,” he said. “At night-time you can’t tell the difference between the cliff and the drop off.”
The premier, Roger Cook, said it was a distressing incident.
“Our hearts go out to the families and friends of those two four-wheel drivers,” he said.
“It really reminds the community of just how important safety is when you’re in the wilderness of Western Australia.”
St John WA and an RAC rescue helicopter were sent to the scene and helped recover the bodies of the two victims.
On Sunday night, the vehicle was reportedly still at the bottom of the cliff, with emergency services working around the clock to recover the car from its tricky position.
Officers from the major crash investigation unit are investigating the incident and a report will be prepared for the coroner.