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Woody Point man fighting for life after sustaining a serious brain injury in cliff fall

A father is fighting for his life, with bleeding on the brain, after falling six-metres down a rocky cliff face north of Brisbane. Friends and family are desperate for answers to what happened.

Maddie Roscoe watches over her dad Chris Roscoe in hospital. Photo: supplied
Maddie Roscoe watches over her dad Chris Roscoe in hospital. Photo: supplied

Chris Roscoe, a father, grandfather and loving husband, is fighting for life in a Brisbane hospital, after crashing his mobility scooter and falling six-metres down a rocky cliff face north of Brisbane.

The incident occurred on Wednesday between 1.45 and 2.15pm. But wife Wendy and emergency services are still piecing together exactly how Mr Roscoe, who has suffered from Parkinson’s disease since 2015, ended up at the bottom of the cliff at Georgina Street, Woody Point.

She said Wednesday had just been like any other normal day – then everything changed in a second.

Wendy and Chris Roscoe, who is 58-years-old. Photo supplied
Wendy and Chris Roscoe, who is 58-years-old. Photo supplied

“In the morning his carer had come and he said he was his normal usual self,” Mrs Roscoe said.

“He had played nine holes of golf the day before.

“The next thing I know I get a phone call from police, just before 2.30pm saying he had been found down there and that the paramedics were with him and taking him to the Royal as he had a suspected head injury.

“They said there had been some aggression but I said straight away that is not him, he is quite the opposite, I’ve never seen him angry, it must be from the head injury.”

The intersection of Gayundah Esplanade and Georgina St, where Chris Roscoe crashed his mobility scooter and fell down the cliff on Wednesday. PHOTO: GOOGLE MAPS
The intersection of Gayundah Esplanade and Georgina St, where Chris Roscoe crashed his mobility scooter and fell down the cliff on Wednesday. PHOTO: GOOGLE MAPS

Mrs Roscoe and their daughter Maddie spent Wednesday afternoon in the emergency department.

“We were there until about 6pm when they took him off to emergency surgery to remove a big piece of bone from the side of his head to release the pressure,” Mrs Roscoe said.

“Scans showed he had extensive bleeding on his brain, about two-thirds is filled up with blood and swelling.”

Son-in-law Paul, eldest Sarah, Maddie, Chris, Wendy, Christopher, in front Ben and Max (Sarah and Paul’s boys) and my mum Phyllis. Photo: supplied
Son-in-law Paul, eldest Sarah, Maddie, Chris, Wendy, Christopher, in front Ben and Max (Sarah and Paul’s boys) and my mum Phyllis. Photo: supplied

Surgeons told the family they had done everything they could.

“If he does pull through and learn to breath on his own again it is highly likely he will have a significant brain injury and never recover or a significant disability, that will be permanent,” Mrs Roscoe said.

“We were told it could mean a long time in hospital before we can even consider bringing him home.”

But if the situation does not improve over the next couple of days then the family will have to make a very tough decision.

“If his brain doesn’t start to recover in the next couple of days we will have to make the decision if we turn everything off and say goodbye,” Mrs Roscoe said.

“It is devastating, especially when you think he was just playing golf the day before.”

Complicating matters further Mrs Roscoe’s two other children, Mr Roscoe’s stepchildren, Christoper and Sarah, and grandchildren all live in Victoria.

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Chris Roscoe (second from left) with and his family. Photo: supplied
Chris Roscoe (second from left) with and his family. Photo: supplied

Due to restrictions they are unable to travel to Queensland – without of course going into the two-week mandatory quarantine.

Chris had raised Mrs Roscoe’s children since they were children.

“They think the world of Chris, they are looking for ways to get up here but there are just no exemptions at all. They are just devastated,” Mrs Roscoe said.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions at the hospital the family are only able to visit for two-hours a day.

“He doesn’t even look like him, he is just a completely different person, it is awful,” Mrs Roscoe said.

On top of all of this the family is just desperate for answers.

“The first day especially my head was going around in circles,” Mrs Roscoe said.

“How did this happen, did somebody hit him, did the scooter have a fault, did it get stuck on high speed, did he have a medical episode, we just don’t know what happened.

She has asked anyone who witnessed the incident or who has CCTV footage on a home along Georgina St to contact police – so they can start to piece together the events leading up to the horrible accident.

Mrs Roscoe thanked everyone who helped her husband, especially the witness who sat with him until emergency services arrived.

“I would also really like to find out who the woman was that called triple-0 to get some help for him. I’d really like to thank her in person,” she said.

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Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/moreton/woody-point-man-fighting-for-life-after-sustaining-a-serious-brain-injury-in-cliff-fall/news-story/3241c6fe4f639587cf1f07c9c3185388