News

Swimmer injured after jumping from rope swing

By Adair Winder

Feb 1, 2022

Rope swing injury: Echuca CFA was called out to attend the scene of an accident in the Murray River. Photo by contributed

A man in his 20s has sustained head and body injuries after jumping from a rope swing into the Murray River downstream from the new Echuca-Moama bridge on Saturday evening.

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The incident occurred at 7.30pm on Saturday, January 29, and was attended by seven Echuca CFA volunteers.

They were assisted by ambulance personnel and Echuca police.

Emergency services worked hard to stabilise the man, loading him into a flat-bottomed boat and then transporting him to the Victoria Park boat ramp where he was transferred onto a flat stretcher.

Keeping the man flat was imperative for emergency services as they were concerned that he could be suffering from a spinal cord injury.

According to the Echuca CFA Facebook page, the recovery was “challenging.”

The man, who was in a serious but stable condition, was transported to the Echuca hospital by ambulance.

Echuca CFA has thanked all boat owners who lined up and patiently waited to leave the river via the Victoria Park boat ramp while they transferred the patient from the boat to the ambulance.