A 25-year-old woman was seriously injured after falling from a steep pathway at Barrenjoey Headland in Palm Beach, prompting a large-scale rescue.
Calls For Help Near Sunset In Palm Beach
Emergency services responded just before 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, 3 February, after Triple Zero calls were made by the woman’s friends.
The woman had been walking on Smugglers Track at Barrenjoey Headland when she slipped from a steep section of the pathway and fell several metres down a rock face. She later answered her phone, indicating she had regained consciousness when it rang.
Police units attended the Governor Phillip Park car park, while firefighters and paramedics made their way on foot towards the headland.
Multi-Agency Response As Light Faded
Firefighters from Avalon were first to reach the scene, locating the woman about seven to eight metres below the track. Intensive Care Paramedics followed on foot carrying medical equipment.
Given the reported height of the fall, the Toll NSW Ambulance Rescue Helicopter was tasked. As daylight faded shortly before 8:30 p.m., an aeromedical team was winched directly to the woman’s location.
The helicopter later landed in a cleared section at the northern end of the Governor Phillip Park car park under police guidance.
Rope System Used In Palm Beach Cliff Rescue
The woman was assessed as serious but stable. She was treated for upper back, abdominal and pelvic pain, with a suspected broken right leg and suspected spinal and internal injuries.
Rescuers secured her in a stokes litter and used an Arizona Vortex A-frame rope system to haul her back to the track. Crews then carried her down the steep and narrow Smugglers Track.
An all-terrain vehicle provided by North Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club assisted in transporting her along Station Beach to the car park.
The incident marked the second rescue at Barrenjoey Headland. Earlier that day, a man in his 30s had been airlifted after collapsing with a broken leg.
Airlift To Hospital
Shortly after 10:00 p.m., the woman was transferred to the rescue helicopter and airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Published 6-Feb-2026
