Boy suffers ‘life-threatening’ injuries in fall at Double Island Point

The parents of a boy seriously injured in a shocking incident at a popular campground have opened up on the accident which left him with multiple injuries only minutes into what was supposed to be a dream holiday.

In a post on Facebook Jonathan and Alison Dean said a combination of “age, fitness and luck” was the reason their son Alex was not injured further in the horror Saturday morning incident at Double Island Point when a branch holding a rope swing broke, striking the youth in the fact and requiring him to be flown to the Queensland Children’s Hospital. Pictures: Jonathan Dean, Facebook.

The family of a young boy seriously injured when a tree branch gave way while he was swinging on it has opened up on the shocking incident which happened only minutes after arriving for a family holiday at Double Island Point.

Jonathan and Alison Dean said a combination of “age, fitness and luck” was the reason their son Alex was not injured further in the Saturday morning incident, which ended with the boy in the Queensland Children’s Hospital.

The Deans said the horrific scenes unfolded shortly after 11am and “after five minutes” of their arriving at the campground northeast of Gympie.

Alex had “sat on a swing attached to a large branch” about 15cm wide and six metres long “which broke and struck him in the head and face”, they said in a social media post.

“Unbelievably” a doctor from Brazil and her partner were walking past when it happened and rushed to help Alex and his family.

In a post on Facebook Jonathan and Alison Dean said a combination of “age, fitness and luck” was the reason their son Alex was not injured further in the horror Saturday morning incident at Double Island Point. Picture: Jonathan Dean, Facebook.

Paramedics were and the LifeFlight crew were rushed to the scene as well, and Alex was flown to the Brisbane Hospital with “potentially life-threatening injuries”.

Alex had “sat on a swing attached to a large branch” about 15cm wide and six metres long “which broke and struck him in the head and face”, the Deans said in the social media post. Pictures: Jonathan Dean, Facebook.

The Deans said in the post their son suffered “a fractured skull, lacerations on the inside of his mouth that require surgery today and broken teeth” but had hopefully been cleared of life-threatening injuries pending further tests.

The Deans said in the post their son suffered “a fractured skull, lacerations on the inside of his mouth that require surgery today and broken teeth”.

They thanked the passers-by, paramedics and hospital staff for their help as the emergency unfolded.

Alex Dean was flown from the scene at Double Island Point on Saturday.

“We are so proud of how he remained calm and showed so much courage during this unfortunate accident … he is a true champion,” the Deans said.

They also made an urgent plea to other families to check the condition of similar rope swings attached to branches.

The couple urged people to “take five minutes to inspect it for the safety your loved ones. and regularly check them to reduce more people getting hurt”.

Originally published as Boy suffers ‘life-threatening’ injuries in fall at Double Island Point