Two Queensland paramedics have been praised for a heartwarming act

Two Queensland paramedics have been celebrated for their act of kindness after they were snapped taking a sick patient to see the ocean.

Two Queensland paramedics have been praised for a kind gesture, after they were snapped taking a sick patient to see the ocean.

A heartwarming picture of the two Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) paramedics standing beside a patient on a stretcher bed was uploaded to Facebook by local Neil King.

The photo was taken at Cleveland Point Lighthouse in Brisbane’s southwest on Saturday.

Mr King praised the paramedics for bringing the “obviously not well” patient to the lookout on the way to the hospital.

“So grateful to our front line workers serving so kindly. The gesture was amazing but the kind words and lovely conversation they shared even more so,” he wrote.

“Thank you Queensland Ambulance Service you are amazing.”

The touching picture quickly gained thousands of likes. Picture: Neil King/Facebook

The post about the “beautiful simple gesture” was also shared to the QAS Facebook page.

Social media users shared their praise for the paramedics, with the post quickly gaining thousands of likes and hundreds of comments.

“Such a simple thing to do. Whether the patient is nearing the end of their life, or whatever the circumstances, it doesn’t really matter,” one person wrote.

“They’re unwell and these guys have changed their day for the better.”

“Ambos just go over and above and are such caring giving souls,” another said.

One person said paramedics performed a similar gesture for her friend.

“They did this for my best friend when cancer took her home. Spent 20 mins siting together watching the ocean,” they wrote.

“They even carried her down to put her toes in the sand one last time. She was a surfer and it was honestly the most moving thing I’ve witnessed. Bless this person and bless our front line workers. So much respect.”

News.com.au has contacted QAS for comment.

This isn’t the first time Queensland paramedics have been snapped creating an extra special moment for their patients.

In 2017, an image of paramedic Graeme Cooper standing next to a patient lying on a gurney on a Hervey Bay beach went viral.

This heartwarming picture went viral in 2017. Picture: Danielle Kellan

Hervey Bay officer-in-charge Helen Donaldson said a crew was transporting a patient to the palliative care unit of the local hospital when the woman wished out loud that she could “just be at the beach” instead.

“Above and beyond, the crew took a small diversion to the awesome beach at Hervey Bay to give the patient this opportunity – tears were shed and the patient felt very happy,” Ms Donaldson said.

Mr Cooper today told reporters the patient was on “her last journey back to (palliative care) where she was going basically to pass away”.

“We popped her up on the hill where she could see the pier and Fraser Island and right through to Point Burrum and she was ecstatic with it all,” he said.

“I thought if all these rocks weren’t here I’d get down into my jocks and take you into the ocean … and I would have … however I thought the next best thing was I can get some ocean and bring it to her.

“She actually tasted the salt water.”

The simple act of kindness gained so much recognition that the Queensland government and QAS joined together to launch Wish Ambulance in 2019.

The program, which is staffed by volunteer paramedics and run by Palliative Care Queensland, offers to take people living with a terminal illness on important journeys before they die, perhaps to the beach, or to see their grandkids, or to the place where they got married.

Health Minister Steven Miles said the Hervey Bay story resonated with so many people, but similar acts of compassion and kindness were going on every day.

“Our ambos have been doing these kinds of things forever really,” he said at the time.

“But they’ve had to sneak around and when they’ve been busy, they haven’t been able to do it.”