A party that got out of hand in bush near the Wakehurst Parkway triggered a major emergency response.
Just before 9.00pm Saturday evening (02 May), NSW Ambulance responded to a report of a person unconscious near Deep Creek Reserve at the Wakehurst Parkway, North Narrabeen.
When an Intensive Care Ambulance from Mona Vale Ambulance Station arrived at Deep Creek Reserve at 9.00pm, they encountered a parent who had collected their intoxicated teenager to take them home.
The parent informed paramedics there was a party involving around 200 people occurring in the bush on the Narrabeen Lagoon side of the Wakehurst Parkway, and that up to a dozen heavily intoxicated teenagers were in a semiconscious state.
Paramedics requested additional support, including the attendance of NSW Police for safety. Two Special Operations Paramedics were tasked, along with NSW Ambulance Inspector Kat Dunlop.
A paramedic went in to the area to assess the scene, finding a Disc Jockey (DJ) booth and teens spread over hundreds of metres of bush. Some of the teens appeared heavily intoxicated.
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) and NSW Rural Fire Service were called to the scene, each arriving with around ten firefighters. They came equipped with lighting and stokes litters in case people needed to be retrieved from the bush.
Half-a-dozen officers attached to Northern Beaches Police Area Command, including a police sergeant, made their way into the bush with Special Operations Paramedics and firefighters.
Police shut the party down and dispersed the crowd of teens, who were mostly compliant, and a search was commenced for stragglers or anyone who may be unconscious and unable to respond.
Given the number of people initially reported to be intoxicated and potentially unresponsive, hazmat firefighters conducted an atmospheric check to be sure there was not some other risk at play, such as swamp gas that may cause people to be overcome.
With an all-clear, rescuers made their way in, using firefighting thermal imaging cameras to locate heat signatures in the bush. Three teens were located and assisted to walk out to the road. They were assessed by paramedics but did not need to be taken to hospital.
With all rescuers back at the road, a FRNSW drone with thermal imaging capability was launched to perform a final sweep of the area to be sure nobody had been missed in the search area. An all-clear was given just before 11.45pm.
The area of bush between Deep Creek and Middle Creek next to Narrabeen Lagoon has become a regular haunt for teenage parties. While the seclusion is attractive to teenagers trying to evade attention, it poses difficulty for emergency services when called to assist.
Images: Northern Beaches Advocate
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