Teenager fights for life after Maryborough skate park assault

A 14-year-old boy left in a coma in the Royal Children’s Hospital after an alleged assault at a skatepark is awake after undergoing marathon surgery.

A teenage boy, who was left in an induced coma in hospital after an alleged attack at a Maryborough skatepark, is awake after a marathon surgery to stop bleeding on his brain.

The 14-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was at the skate park at Alice Street with a friend on Monday afternoon, March 7, when the alleged attack happened.

Speaking to the Fraser Coast Chronicle, his mother said she had told her son it was fine to go, but to be home by 5pm.

Instead, she found two police officers at her door, telling her he had been rushed to hospital.

After lying in a coma for days, a Maryborough teen is now awake after a marathon surgery to stop the bleeding on his brain.

The teen was flown to Queensland Children’s Hospital and underwent an operation to relieve the pressure on his brain.

His grandmother, who has remained by his side along with his mother in Brisbane, on Thursday said the teen would need to undergo another operation.

“He’s going to theatre today that could go either way,” she said.

“We will get there. Every day is different.”

Thankfully, late on Thursday night his mother provided the update everyone was hoping for: her son was awake.

He had undergone a marathon four hour surgery after aneurysm was found in the back of his brain, causing ongoing bleeding.

His mum said the surgery was risky, with the possibility of extensive bleeding and strokes.

But the surgeons were able to block an artery and stop the bleeding from the aneurysm and on Thursday night, the teen was brought out of the coma.

“Feels like it’s been forever,” the mum wrote on a post showing her son awake for the first time in days.

A teenage boy, fighting for life in hospital after an alleged attack at a Maryborough skatepark, was turning his life around after being involved in a vandalism incident.

Meanwhile, friends were leaving messages of support for the teen, saying he was a “fighter”.

A Go Fund Me page set up to support the family through the difficult time had already raised more than $3000.

Fraser Coast councillor Paul Truscott met with the teenager in 2021 after an act of vandalism by a group of teens.

Mr Truscott had shared to Facebook CCTV footage of a group of teens kicking a light bollard in Maryborough’s central business district, causing damage.

He was touched when the young man came forward, wanting to repay his debt to the community.

Mr Truscott said it took guts for the young man to come forward and admit he had made a mistake, and he applauded him for doing it.

A teenage boy, fighting for life in hospital after an alleged attack at a Maryborough skatepark, was turning his life around after being involved in a vandalism incident.

“He said that he appreciated being able to work it off with council and enjoyed his time so far and even thought it might be good to work for council one day,” Mr Truscott said at the time.

Speaking to the Chronicle on Thursday, he said he had been in touch with the boy’s mother to let her know his thoughts and prayers were with them and he was hoping for a speedy recovery.

“The poor kid trying to turn his life straight and has this happen,” he said.

The boy’s mother said her son had previously stopped going to the skate park because of other incidents, but he had never been assaulted before.

The Maryborough teenager is still fighting for life in hospital after an alleged skatepark attack.

Monday was the first time he had been in a long while and his family is shocked.

Thankfully, a schoolteacher was at the scene and called an ambulance, which may have saved his life.

“He’s just a typical teenage boy wanting to hang out with friends at the skate park,” she said.

“One punch can literally kill.“

A Queensland Police Spokeswoman confirmed a 16-year-old boy had been charged in relation to the incident but could not provide further details.