Parents were notified via text message after an accident at a school camp left a boy airlifted to hospital with neck and head injuries.
John Scott’s son attended the Marist College Ashgrove camp at Adventure Alternatives with a 14-year-old boy who suffered from head and neck injuries during a high ropes activity.
Mr Scott, who said his son is a good friend of the injured boy, said to the ABC: ‘I was in the bank and I got a text saying: “there’s been an accident — camp’s been abandoned, pick up your son this afternoon”.’
The boy, believed by the media to be Connor Petterson (pictured), was airlifted Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital by the Rescue 500 at midday May 23
The ABC radio presenter said his son was doing another climbing activity and was well away from the accident when it happened.
He said that besides the text he had no received any other information from the school.
Mr Scott said: ‘It’s a very sad thing but the school has done the best they can by the kids — that’s my observation.
‘They told them exactly what had happened and that the boy was getting the best care he could be.’
The boy, believed by the media to be Connor Petterson, was airlifted Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital by the Rescue 500 at midday May 23.
The Marist College Ashgrove student was found to have critical head and neck injuries by paramedics
The four-day camp was underway at Adventure Alternatives in Woodford in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast hinterlands.
Adventure Alternatives said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia: ‘This was an unforeseen incident. It had nothing to do with the misuse or failure of any safety equipment, instructional or participant error. This incident also had nothing to do with our continued level of safety, our professionalism or the safety of any of the activities we run and will continue to run in the future.’
The education centre said that they were ‘devastated’ by what had happened and that it was ‘imperative in this matter that we are aware and acknowledge that there are humans involved in this incident, humans with feelings, emotions and who have had to deal with a difficult and challenging situation’.
In a statement posted to Facebook spokesperson for the school Stephen Porter said: ‘We regret to inform you that there has been an accident on the Year 9 camp where a student was injured
In a statement posted to Facebook spokesperson for the school Stephen Porter said: ‘We regret to inform you that there has been an accident on the Year 9 camp where a student was injured.
‘The parents of the injured boy have been informed and are in attendance at the hospital.
‘As of a result of the accident we have made the decision to cancel the remainder of the Year 9 camp and the boys will return to the College this afternoon.’
Mr Porter said that details of what happened are still coming to light and asked to keep the family ‘in your prayers at this time’.
Workplace health and safety staff are investigating what happened, according to the ABC.
Mr Porter said that details of what happened are still coming to light and asked to keep the family ‘in your prayers at this time’ (Pictured: Marist College Ashgrove, stock image)
MCA headmaster Peter McLoughlin has spent time with the family in hospital, according to The Brisbane Times.
Counselling services will be offered to other students about the accident.
The school revealed today that the boy is still in hospital and ‘is receiving the best of care’.
Staff at the Adventure Alternative Education Centre have said they have sent their prayers and thanked the public for their support.