A PARAMEDIC died in Cavan yesterday after he fell from a moving ambulance while treating a patient being transferred from Cavan General Hospital to a Dublin hospital.
The 43-year-old man, who is from Cavan, fell from the ambulance which was travelling on the N3 at Stradone, about six kilometres outside Cavan town, at around 3.50pm.
The ambulance left the hospital with two paramedics, a nurse and the patient on board.
The paramedic suffered severe head injuries and the nurse and the other paramedic driving the ambulance gave him medical assistance.
He was brought to Cavan General Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Three separate investigations by the gardaí, the HSE and the Health and Safety Authority are under way into the incident.
HSE North East last night confirmed that, “following a tragic accident today a paramedic lost his life. “The HSE wishes to extend its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased and to his ambulance work colleagues.”
Last night Siptu representative Paul Bell said all ambulance personnel are “absolutely traumatised”.
“It is imperative that the cause of this accident is identified as quickly as possible. It appears to have been a freak accident in that for a member of the ambulance personnel to fall from a vehicle is quite staggering.”
Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to contact Cavan Garda station on 049-4368800