One person dead, two injured after serious buggy rollover at Toolakea Beach

A beachside community has been left shattered by a devastating buggy crash that left one man dead and two others injured, as police identify the men involved in the tragedy.

Breanna Wyburg, a Toolakea resident for the past four years, was among the first to see the aftermath of a fatal buggy rollover. Picture: Natasha Emeck

The tranquil beachside community of Toolakea was shattered in the early hours of the morning by a devastating buggy crash that left one man dead and two others injured.

The crash occurred just after 2am along the northern end of the Esplanade, sending shockwaves through the close-knit community.

Emergency services raced to the scene following reports of an ATV buggy rollover on the beach.

Despite their swift response, the accident proved fatal for a 25-year-old Malanda man, who was a passenger in the vehicle.

Two other men, aged 23 and 53, both from Townsville, were transported to Townsville University Hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

Breanna Wyburg, a Toolakea resident for the past four years, was among the first to see the aftermath.

She knows the owner of the buggy, a fellow local, and spoke with visible sadness about the scene that unfolded on the beach.

She said he had been one of the two who were lucky enough to walk away from the crash.

“The police were out on the beach, and they towed the crashed buggy out of here this morning,” Ms Wyburg said.

“When I went out to see the crash site, all that was left were tyre marks from the buggy and a bit of blood splatter on the sand.”

She said riding buggies along the beach is a common sight for Toolakea residents, but she said it’s unusual to see them out at night.

“We ride our buggies all the time, but nothing like this has ever happened before,” she said.

“I wonder why they were out here at 2am, but it’s very sad that someone has lost their life.”

She said the tragedy has cast a long shadow over their close-knit community.

“We’re a tight-knit community out here, so when something like this happens, it has a ripple effect on us all,” she said.

Queensland Ambulance released a statement confirming paramedics attended a serious buggy rollover which occurred on the beach off The Esplanade at 2.16am.

“One patient was sadly declared deceased on scene and two stable patients were transported to the Townsville University Hospital,” a QAS spokesman said.

QAS’s director of clinical operations for the northern region Melanie Tecarr said they had received multiple triple-zero calls regarding an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) rollover on Toolakea Beach.

She said emergency responders needed to overcome tidal and access issues, which were challenging for emergency vehicles.

“On arrival there were multiple people on the beach, but we did locate three patients,” Ms Tecarr said.

“Of those patients, sadly, one we were unable to save, and two patients were transported to the Townsville University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.”

Queensland Police issued a statement Friday morning saying Forensic Crash Unit officers were investigating the crash.

“Initial investigations indicate the buggy was driving on the northern end of the beach around 2.15am before it rolled,” a QPS spokesman said.

“A 25-year-old Malanda man, who was a passenger in the ATV, died at the scene.

“The driver, a 23-year-old Hermit Park man, was transported to the Townsville University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.”

Investigations are continuing.

Originally published as One person dead, two injured after serious buggy rollover at Toolakea Beach