A paramedic who claims she was locked in a dilapidated house with a dead body in a scene reminiscent of a horror movie is suing the state government.
Naomi O’Callaghan, 43, was called to a remote property in Giru, near Townsville in north Queensland, on May 29, 2011, after reports that a man had died.
The paramedic was called to attend to an 80-year-old man but claims she was met by a younger man with a shovel who was surrounded by dogs.
The younger man led her into the house where she discovered the body before the door was reportedly locked behind her.
The older man appeared to have been dead for some time, she claims.
Ms O’Callaghan claims she feared for her safety after the man who greeted her allegedly told her the dogs would attack her if she made any sudden movements.
Naomi O’Callaghan (pictured) is suing the state government after she allegedly endured a horror ordeal in a run-down rural estate where she discovered an elderly man who had been dead for some time
Ms O’Callaghan has made a claim in the The High Court in Townsville is seeking $1.3 million in damages from the state government after she endured a traumatic ordeal while on duty.
She claims she was frightened by the presence of the aggressive dogs and feared there were other animals and people on the farm that could pose a threat to her safety. The courier post reported.
Ms O’Callaghan’s claim also states that she could have suffered injuries from various hazards that occurred in the house.
She claims the ‘life-threatening situation’ left her suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and also claimed the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) had not sent back-up paramedics.
In her claim, Ms O’Callaghan said she ran to her ambulance to set off a duress alarm and told a radio operator: ‘This has a grade B horror movie written all over it.’
She says she drove from the remote property to the Bruce Highway to alert police.
Two months later, she attended a late-night phone call at another remote property near Giru, following reports that a 36-year-old man had committed suicide.
Mrs O’Callaghan found the man in a shed surrounded by various items, including two gas cylinders and a bowl of white powder.
She claims she tried to leave the property but her vehicle’s engine wouldn’t start.
In a separate incident, Mrs O’Callaghan attempted to leave another remote property after discovering a dead man, but the engine in the ambulance (stock image) would not start
She claims a QAS radio control room employee told her, “If you hear banjo music, get out of Dodge,” referring to a scene from the American horror film “Deliverance.”
Ms O’Callaghan has worked for the QAS since 2007 as a single ambulance officer in rural North Queensland.
She claims the QAS should have advised her to wait for police to arrive at the properties and deem the houses safe before confirming the men’s deaths.
Ms O’Callaghan also claims her employment was terminated in June 2019.
A date for the case to be heard in court has yet to be set and no defense has yet been filed.