Paramedics grant terminally ill woman's wish to visit the beach one last time
Australian ambulance crew applauded for helping dying patient enjoy sea views at Hervey Bay

A terminally ill woman who dreamt of seeing the sea for a final time had her wish granted by an ambulance crew.
The unnamed woman was being transported home from hospital in the Hervey Bay area of eastern Queensland, Australia, after receiving palliative care when she told paramedics of her dream to visit the beach again.
“It was basically going to be her last journey back to her house where she was basically going to pass away,” paramedic Graeme Cooper told the ABC.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“She was saying how she moved to Hervey Bay with her husband on the spur of the moment and they've been here ever since.”
He and colleague Danielle Kellan decided to go out of their way to grant her wish, parking the ambulance off a stretch of road overlooking the bay and bringing the patient out to enjoy the view.
“The crew took a small diversion to the awesome beach at Hervey Bay to give the patient this opportunity,” Queensland Ambulance Service said in a Facebook post. “Tears were shed and the patient felt very happy.”
“I said to the patient, 'what are you thinking?',” Cooper said. “She was looking out towards Fraser Island and she said, ‘I'm at peace, everything's right'.”
A photo taken by a team member showing the unnamed patient looking out across the water, with Cooper by her side was uploaded to the Queensland Ambulance Service’s Facebook page, alongside a caption explaining the touching story behind the image.
Since being uploaded early this morning the post has been liked by 36,000 people and shared more than 11,000 times, with many users congratulating the ambulance crew on trying to bring happiness to a dying patient.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - April 19, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - free trade, judicial pushback, and more
By The Week US
-
5 educational cartoons about the Harvard pushback
Cartoons Artists take on academic freedom, institutional resistance, and more
By The Week US
-
One-pan black chickpeas with baharat and orange recipe
The Week Recommends This one-pan dish offers bold flavours, low effort and minimum clean up
By The Week UK
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff
-
The Aussie beach cabana drama
Row over using tents to reserve a spot on the sand has even drawn in the prime minister
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK