Horrific Crash Near WA Tourist Town Leaves Multiple People Critically Injured

SHARK BAY, AUSTRALIA — A tranquil tourist gateway in Western Australia’s Gascoon region was thrust into chaos on Monday morning, August 3, 2026 after a violent two-vehicle collision on the North West Coastal Highway left several people fighting for their lives, including a young child.

The high-impact crash occurred around 11:30 AM at Hamelin Pool, a historic site located just outside the popular tourism hub of Shark Bay. Emergency services rushed to the scene where two vehicles had collided head-on, scattering debris across the remote highway and trapping multiple occupants.

St John WA paramedics worked frantically alongside local rescue crews to stabilize four patients at the crash site. Due to the severe nature of their injuries and the remote location, emergency responders rushed the victims to the nearby Monkey Mia airport to coordinate a mass medical evacuation.

A specialized medical jet operated by the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) arrived at the airstrip at approximately 3:15 PM, carrying two doctors and a nurse. The medical team immediately prioritized a critically injured child, performing advanced trauma stabilization on the tarmac before loading them onto the emergency flight back to metropolitan Perth. The child was scheduled to arrive at Jandakot Airport later Monday afternoon to be rushed directly to Perth Children's Hospital.

The RFDS specialist medical team remained at the Monkey Mia airstrip into the afternoon to continue assessing and treating three other heavily injured patients prior to transport. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) assisted in the complex multi-agency rescue effort.

WA Police have cordoned off the crash site, and the Major Crash Investigation Section has taken charge of the scene to determine the precise cause of the collision. Authorities issued an urgent warning to the public to avoid the area entirely, as significant delays are expected on the North West Coastal Highway while investigators process the scene.

Local tourism operators expressed deep concern over the incident, noting that the intersection near Hamelin Pool has long been a point of friction during peak holiday seasons. In response to the growing gridlock, the Western Australian Main Roads department deployed emergency traffic management teams to establish a detour through unsealed regional tracks for essential travelers. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Perth Children's Hospital confirmed that the trauma unit had been placed on high alert, with pediatric specialists prepared to receive the critically injured child immediately upon the medical jet's arrival at Jandakot Airport.