Child suffers head and spinal injuries after fall at Karijini

A young child is lucky to be alive after suffering head and spinal injuries following a serious fall in a gorge at Karijini National Park. Seven year old Daniel Ford was visiting the park on a camping trip with his mother, two younger siblings and a family friend last Friday when he slipped at Joffre Gorge at about 9am. Daniel fell an estimated five to eight metres vertically down the gorge and was unconscious in the water for at least 60 seconds when he landed. The youngster, who lives in the Kimberley, suffered six fractured vertebrae in his neck, a dented skull and a large gaping hole in his head which required surgery. The rescue was a multi-agency response involving police, town paramedics, St John volunteers, SES crews from Karratha and Newman as well as a local FMG crew. It took several hours for Daniel to be lifted out, with him coming to the surface at about 2.30pm via a vertical rope lift. It wasn’t until after 9pm when Daniel was then flown to Perth for surgery which he had on Saturday. Joffre Gorge is a popular spot for tourists due to its close proximity to the Eco Retreat, however police warn it is very steep. Tom Price Police officer-in-charge Sergeant Nicole Mizen said Daniel was lucky to be alive. “He’s super, super lucky,” she said. “I have never met a braver kid. He was down there for multiple hours and we had to keep him awake as part of a head injury and spinal precautions. “He is just a super little boy. Did not cry.” Daniel will have to wear a body brace for some time while his spinal injuries heal and will also have to undertake rehab. Sgt. Mizen reminded travellers about the dangers of the park as one slip could be fatal. “It’s that lack of understanding that it’s really dangerous and you have to be so careful so if you look away for a millisecond and if you’ve got children they could slip. If you don’t have the appropriate footwear, you can slip or you can fall,” she said. “I just want people to know that it’s dangerous and this is a happy ending. We don’t want a sad ending. “There are lots of families out there and lots of kids during school holidays. I just don’t want anything to happen to any of them. Please just respect it.” Daniel’s fall comes after a spate of rescues in recent months as tourists flock to Karijini given COVID-19 travel restrictions. On September 28, a 50-year-old male from Perth suffered a dislocated ankle and broken leg after crashing his motorcycle inside the park. Earlier last month a 56-year-old woman slipped and fell at Handrail Pool, while a 70-year-old man suffered a medical episode at Fortescue Falls just days later. In July, a 28-year-old woman dislocated and broke her ankle after falling at Hancock Gorge.