Tragedy at Hamelin Pool: Two Dead, 12-Year-Old Critically Injured in Horrific Caravan Crash

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

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 a caravan had rolled during the head-on collision, scattering debris across the remote highway and trapping multiple occupants inside the wreckage.

St John WA paramedics worked frantically alongside local rescue crews to stabilize the victims at the crash site. Due to the severe nature of the injuries and the remote location, emergency responders rushed the surviving patients to the nearby Monkey Mia airport to coordinate an immediate 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 the critically injured 12-year-old 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 debris and examine the vehicles involved.

Local community members and regional leaders expressed deep shock over the incident, which occurred during a peak winter travel season when caravan traffic along the scenic corridor is traditionally high. Road safety advocates immediately renewed calls for infrastructure upgrades on the isolated stretch of the North West Coastal Highway, citing a lack of overtaking lanes and extended emergency response times as persistent hazards for long-distance travelers. As night fell, WA Police confirmed that heavy haulage crews were en route to clear the overturned caravan and heavily damaged vehicles, though the highway was expected to remain partially closed until the early hours of Tuesday morning.